September 11, 2023 • 9 mins
Wayne Larrivee sits down with former Green Bay Packers LB Nick Perry to reminisce on his choice to attend USC (0:35), playing through injuries (2:30), and the Packers impressive 2014 campaign (3:45).
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
For more than a century, the Green Bay Packers have
been a benchmark for football excellence. Thousands of players have
helped pave the way, and we're here to tell you
their stories. I'm Wayne Laaravi. This is the Packers alumni.
Spot White linebacker Nick Perry was the Packers' first round
(00:24):
draft pick of twenty twelve. A Detroit NATA, he eschewed
Michigan and Michigan State for USC where he played for
the legendary coach he Carroll.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It was a transition period from coaches that was in
Michigan at that time, but the big standout at that
time was Pete Carroll. They were doing great things in California.
They took a lik into what I had to offer
and that was kind of the start of it. He
flew the whole staff out and from there we just clicked.
It just felt like a family, you know. I decided
to step out of my comfort zone and take that
(00:59):
chance and go all the way to the West Coast.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So you play defensive line in college, right for the
most part, YEP, I played defensive end and then you
would transition in the pros to outside linebacker. How difficult
was that?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I would say it was very difficult just because of
my skill set was handing the dirt. You know, you
really don't get to focus on being a coverage guy,
and that that part of that the game wasn't natural
to me from there, you know, I had to I
had to adjust huge just learning how to you know,
stand up, you know, because we played at three four,
(01:34):
so I was still out there on the edge, you know,
in my transition to the NFL, so it was a
little bit more difficult. But as I became more comfortable
understanding concepts, things started to warm up.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Was Kevin Green still here when you got here?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
He was? Wow?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, great coach, rest in peace, he was. He was
a big part on getting me to understand and really
drill in the things that I needed to know to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
At Southern cal Nick played with Clay Matthews, who preceded
him the Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
My first year coming in was his last year on
his way out, so we definitely had some some times there.
But I was just a little I was just a
little guy learning the ropes at ce SO. But he's
been a huge helping, you know, to my development. As
I continued.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
On, Nick, someone mentioned to me today that you know,
they can remember you playing with a club on your
hand a lot in your career and playing pretty well
with the club. Talk about that coming injury.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Man, you know, that was that was a huge thing
the club. Like I like those memories stick out to
me the most of being able to play through all
that pain and just it really adjusted how I played
out there on the field. And so you know, playing
with one hand is it's pretty tough in the league,
but I was able to. I was able to make
(03:04):
it my own and create, you know, a little identity
of that because I still remember, you know, all the
times going in there with that, with that club.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You had a season when you had eleven sacks and
you seem to be taking off from there. It was
I guess you were coming up on a contract year
that that appeared to be right where you were at
your best. Talk about that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You know, that was at a that was at a
point where things were things was you know, we were
we were starting to get into a rhythm. You know,
I got really comfortable in the position that I was in.
Just the schemes, everything started to become more natural, and
you know, I just took it to a whole another level.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
You played in some big games, some that went your way,
some that didn't. The one that comes to mind is
the twenty fourteen Packers team. How you guys remember Clay
moved inside and all of a sudden, you guys defensively
started to hit stride. Won a big game against New
England in the regular season, beat Dallas in a playoff
game in lambeau Field. That must have been incredible that
(04:07):
ball game. You had to I believe a sack and
a half in that game. Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You know, those are huge games. And at that time
were we was clicking like no other and just being
able to put together all of those pieces. We had
a lot of talent and we all wanted to get
to the backfield. And I think from there, you know,
we started to put together other pieces to try to
mix you know, mix our defense up and get the
best players on the field to disrupt the quarterbacks. And uh,
(04:33):
you know rig have.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Itt, Well, you had you, and you had Julius Peppers,
the great Julius Peppers on that team. Wow, what was
it like playing with those guys?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Pep came with huge wisdom. He was always quiet and reserved,
but when he spoke, I mean we all listened and
and you know we learned. But just being around him
and his professionalism, tourst the game was Barnunn and we
all we all played with that. He was he great,
great player.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, Nick, It's interesting that, you know, teams forty
years ago, teams used to come into training camp, but
if they were super Bowl caliber, chances are they're going
to be super Bowl caliber at the end of the season,
barring major injuries. But it seems like in today's game,
teams evolve. They they go from a certain position, either
they get better or they get worse. And but teams
(05:23):
are not super Bowl caliber in September. The super Bowl
caliber teams evolve into December and January. That was your
twenty fourteen team, wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Absolutely? It wasn't how we started. You know, I think
we we it wasn't. It wasn't a great start for us.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But lost that game, and see, I had a lot
of Thursday night to open the season. They was defending jams.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That was a huge one, you know, and we progress,
we had we we hit our we hit our lumps early.
You know, we got hit with injuries. But you know,
It's not how you start, it's how you finish. And
we always talk about that December, you know, being able
to win games in December is much tougher, you know,
moving forth into the playoffs, and those are the games
(06:03):
you really want to win to put yourself in good
positions to uh to make a run.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, and it's hard to do that, isn't it. I mean,
it just it either comes together or it doesn't. And
I don't know if there's anything players or coaches could
do to make that happen. Teams come together. You guys
are coming together. You went to Seattle, played the defending
champs and had them beat for like fifty three minutes.
What do you take from the twenty fourteen NFC Championship game?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
That one sticks out to me the most, That one
hurts the most, you know, considering that the team that
we put together and we was playing our best football.
We came, we came there, you know, all about business
and uh we took care of business for the most part,
you know, and it just to see it go away
and whither away was was a was a tough one
(06:52):
to swallow. But we we had we had a great
team to take us there. And it's really unforcunate that
things unfolded the way they did, you know, And I
always look back at that game knowing that, you know,
we had it and we just didn't close.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It. Isn't it amazing how with the great athletes like
you and the people in professional sports, You guys, the
wins are wonderful, but the losses never go away, do
they know?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
They hurt the worst. I mean, you know, it's just
one of those things. We love to win, but we
we hate to lose even more. And you know, you
get so close to those those kind of games that really,
you know, those are the games that mean the most
right and you know they stick out like a short thumb,
(07:43):
and you know, this is one of those things we
always we always learn things from those moments, but we
wish we don't go through those moments.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Knick's career day came in the playoffs follow me the
twenty fifteen campaign. He registered two and a half sacks
against all Pro tackle Trent Williams in a postseason win
at Washington.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Went against Trent all game. That was a huge game.
I was able to put together some you know, you know,
it's a chess game out there, and uh, you know
that was that was a game that I was hungry.
I was ready to go. You know, I studied my opponent.
You know I knew it was a tough, a tough matchup,
and you know I just played. I played the best
(08:29):
of my ability and you know, I had a great
game that that day.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The following season, Perry recorded a team leading career best
eleven sacks, earning a new contract from the Packers, but
injuries took their toll and eventually cut his career short.
And when he was right, Nick Perry was a force
for the Packers
For more than a century, the Green Bay Packers have
been a benchmark for football excellence. Thousands of players have
helped pave the way, and we're here to tell you
their stories. I'm Wayne Laaravi. This is the Packers alumni.
Spot White linebacker Nick Perry was the Packers' first round
(00:24):
draft pick of twenty twelve. A Detroit NATA, he eschewed
Michigan and Michigan State for USC where he played for
the legendary coach he Carroll.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It was a transition period from coaches that was in
Michigan at that time, but the big standout at that
time was Pete Carroll. They were doing great things in California.
They took a lik into what I had to offer
and that was kind of the start of it. He
flew the whole staff out and from there we just clicked.
It just felt like a family, you know. I decided
to step out of my comfort zone and take that
(00:59):
chance and go all the way to the West Coast.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
So you play defensive line in college, right for the
most part, YEP, I played defensive end and then you
would transition in the pros to outside linebacker. How difficult
was that?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I would say it was very difficult just because of
my skill set was handing the dirt. You know, you
really don't get to focus on being a coverage guy,
and that that part of that the game wasn't natural
to me from there, you know, I had to I
had to adjust huge just learning how to you know,
stand up, you know, because we played at three four,
(01:34):
so I was still out there on the edge, you know,
in my transition to the NFL, so it was a
little bit more difficult. But as I became more comfortable
understanding concepts, things started to warm up.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Was Kevin Green still here when you got here?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
He was? Wow?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, great coach, rest in peace, he was. He was
a big part on getting me to understand and really
drill in the things that I needed to know to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
At Southern cal Nick played with Clay Matthews, who preceded
him the Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
My first year coming in was his last year on
his way out, so we definitely had some some times there.
But I was just a little I was just a
little guy learning the ropes at ce SO. But he's
been a huge helping, you know, to my development. As
I continued.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
On, Nick, someone mentioned to me today that you know,
they can remember you playing with a club on your
hand a lot in your career and playing pretty well
with the club. Talk about that coming injury.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Man, you know, that was that was a huge thing
the club. Like I like those memories stick out to
me the most of being able to play through all
that pain and just it really adjusted how I played
out there on the field. And so you know, playing
with one hand is it's pretty tough in the league,
but I was able to. I was able to make
(03:04):
it my own and create, you know, a little identity
of that because I still remember, you know, all the
times going in there with that, with that club.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You had a season when you had eleven sacks and
you seem to be taking off from there. It was
I guess you were coming up on a contract year
that that appeared to be right where you were at
your best. Talk about that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You know, that was at a that was at a
point where things were things was you know, we were
we were starting to get into a rhythm. You know,
I got really comfortable in the position that I was in.
Just the schemes, everything started to become more natural, and
you know, I just took it to a whole another level.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
You played in some big games, some that went your way,
some that didn't. The one that comes to mind is
the twenty fourteen Packers team. How you guys remember Clay
moved inside and all of a sudden, you guys defensively
started to hit stride. Won a big game against New
England in the regular season, beat Dallas in a playoff
game in lambeau Field. That must have been incredible that
(04:07):
ball game. You had to I believe a sack and
a half in that game. Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You know, those are huge games. And at that time
were we was clicking like no other and just being
able to put together all of those pieces. We had
a lot of talent and we all wanted to get
to the backfield. And I think from there, you know,
we started to put together other pieces to try to
mix you know, mix our defense up and get the
best players on the field to disrupt the quarterbacks. And uh,
(04:33):
you know rig have.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Itt, Well, you had you, and you had Julius Peppers,
the great Julius Peppers on that team. Wow, what was
it like playing with those guys?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Pep came with huge wisdom. He was always quiet and reserved,
but when he spoke, I mean we all listened and
and you know we learned. But just being around him
and his professionalism, tourst the game was Barnunn and we
all we all played with that. He was he great,
great player.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, Nick, It's interesting that, you know, teams forty
years ago, teams used to come into training camp, but
if they were super Bowl caliber, chances are they're going
to be super Bowl caliber at the end of the season,
barring major injuries. But it seems like in today's game,
teams evolve. They they go from a certain position, either
they get better or they get worse. And but teams
(05:23):
are not super Bowl caliber in September. The super Bowl
caliber teams evolve into December and January. That was your
twenty fourteen team, wasn't it?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Absolutely? It wasn't how we started. You know, I think
we we it wasn't. It wasn't a great start for us.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
But lost that game, and see, I had a lot
of Thursday night to open the season. They was defending jams.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That was a huge one, you know, and we progress,
we had we we hit our we hit our lumps early.
You know, we got hit with injuries. But you know,
It's not how you start, it's how you finish. And
we always talk about that December, you know, being able
to win games in December is much tougher, you know,
moving forth into the playoffs, and those are the games
(06:03):
you really want to win to put yourself in good
positions to uh to make a run.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, and it's hard to do that, isn't it. I mean,
it just it either comes together or it doesn't. And
I don't know if there's anything players or coaches could
do to make that happen. Teams come together. You guys
are coming together. You went to Seattle, played the defending
champs and had them beat for like fifty three minutes.
What do you take from the twenty fourteen NFC Championship game?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
That one sticks out to me the most, That one
hurts the most, you know, considering that the team that
we put together and we was playing our best football.
We came, we came there, you know, all about business
and uh we took care of business for the most part,
you know, and it just to see it go away
and whither away was was a was a tough one
(06:52):
to swallow. But we we had we had a great
team to take us there. And it's really unforcunate that
things unfolded the way they did, you know, And I
always look back at that game knowing that, you know,
we had it and we just didn't close.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It. Isn't it amazing how with the great athletes like
you and the people in professional sports, You guys, the
wins are wonderful, but the losses never go away, do
they know?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
They hurt the worst. I mean, you know, it's just
one of those things. We love to win, but we
we hate to lose even more. And you know, you
get so close to those those kind of games that really,
you know, those are the games that mean the most
right and you know they stick out like a short thumb,
(07:43):
and you know, this is one of those things we
always we always learn things from those moments, but we
wish we don't go through those moments.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Knick's career day came in the playoffs follow me the
twenty fifteen campaign. He registered two and a half sacks
against all Pro tackle Trent Williams in a postseason win
at Washington.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Went against Trent all game. That was a huge game.
I was able to put together some you know, you know,
it's a chess game out there, and uh, you know
that was that was a game that I was hungry.
I was ready to go. You know, I studied my opponent.
You know I knew it was a tough, a tough matchup,
and you know I just played. I played the best
(08:29):
of my ability and you know, I had a great
game that that day.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
The following season, Perry recorded a team leading career best
eleven sacks, earning a new contract from the Packers, but
injuries took their toll and eventually cut his career short.
And when he was right, Nick Perry was a force
for the Packers
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