Ray Perkins

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Ray Perkins (November 6, 1941 – December 9, 2020) was an American football player and coach. A wide receiver, he played for the University of Alabama and later for the Baltimore Colts, and he spent nearly three decades coaching at both college and pro levels, including stints as a head coach for the New York Giants, the University of Alabama, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Arkansas State University.

Early life
Perkins was born in Mt. Olive, Mississippi, and grew up in nearby Petal. As a young athlete, he was known for his hard work and even earned a nickname tied to jobbet duties: “Grease.” He was an outstanding high school player at Petal, where he starred as an All-America running back before going on to college.

College playing career
He attended the University of Alabama and played from 1964 to 1966 under coach Bear Bryant, alongside future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Namath and Ken Stabler. Bryant moved Perkins from running back to wide receiver after a serious head injury, a change that helped him become a key offensive player on two national championship teams in 1964 and 1965. Perkins captained the team in his senior year, earned All-American honors in 1966, and was SEC Player of the Year. He was nicknamed the “Alabama Hummingbird” for his speed and playmaking ability.

Professional playing career
Perkins was drafted in 1966 by both leagues—7th round (110th overall) in the NFL by the Baltimore Colts and 5th round (38th overall) in the AFL by the Boston Patriots. He chose to play for the Colts, where he appeared from 1967 to 1971 as a wide receiver. He caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas in the 1970 AFC Championship, helping the Colts reach Super Bowl V, which they won. Perkins learned from Unitas, Raymond Berry, and Don Shula and developed strong film-study and defensive-reading skills. His NFL career was cut short by knee injuries, ending his playing days after several surgeries. He finished with 93 receptions for 1,538 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Coaching career
After a year away from football, Perkins began coaching as the receivers coach at Mississippi State in 1972. He then moved to the NFL as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots (1974–1977) and the San Diego Chargers (1978). He became the head coach of the New York Giants (1979–1982), guiding them to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years in 1979 and helping establish a staff that would produce future Super Bowl champions. He mentored future head coaches Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and Romeo Crennel, and he personally scouted Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms.

In 1983, Perkins took over as the head coach at Alabama, a position he held through 1986. He posted a 32–15–1 record and won three bowl games, but the team never won more than four SEC games in a season, and pressure grew after a 5–6 season in 1984. He left Alabama after the 1986 season to become head coach and general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987–1990). His NFL tenure in Tampa Bay lasted four seasons, during which the team never had more than five wins in a season and he compiled a 42–75 record, part of a longer stretch of losing seasons for the franchise. He then coached at Arkansas State in 1992, before serving as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots (1993–1996) and the Oakland Raiders (1997). He also had roles with the Cleveland Browns (2000) and later coached at Jones County Junior College (2011–2013) and Oak Grove High School in Mississippi (2014–2017).

Personal and later life
Perkins lived in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in his later years. He passed away on December 9, 2020, at his home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at the age of 79. He is part of the broader history of football that includes his connections to legendary figures like Bryant, Namath, Stabler, Unitas, Berry, Shula, Parcells, and Belichick. He is also among former players who have been diagnosed posthumously with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).