‘He’ll Definitely Be Missed’: Teurlings Catholic’s Gresham Perry To Honor Late Father in Final Season

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

It was a part of his life that Adam Perry had raised his son, Gresham, to experience like he did 30 years ago. 

Adam Perry was a hulking offensive lineman from Covington High School who signed with LSU. He lettered four years and was the team’s captain in his final season in 1997.

Another son, Thomas, had previously gone through the recruiting process, followed in his father’s footsteps, and signed up with LSU in 2019. He was afforded three years in the program before having to medically retire.

Gresham Perry was built in the same mold his father, a mammoth offensive lineman graced with athleticism and tenacity. He started the past season at Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette, helping the Rebels to a second straight appearance in a Division II select state semifinal. 

It was finally the turn for Gresham, a menacing 6-foot-5, 310-pound prospect, to go through his recruiting process that his father would help navigate. They went to camps together where the exposure to the next-level competition further enhanced Gresham’s skills and gained helpful insight into a prospective school.

They were building toward the father-son discussion they always looked forward to, the one where Gresham would look into his father’s eyes and select the college of his choice. 

They never got such an opportunity.

Adam Perry, a renowned and respected orthopedic specialist, suffered a heart attack on March 18 and died at the age of 49.

Three months later Gresham, with the guidance of his mother Heidi and family friend Alan Faneca, an NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman, committed to Tulane on June 27.

“It’s been rough, difficult, but we’ve stuck together,” Gresham said. “Everything’s going to get better. You’ve got to roll with what happens. I know God’s got a plan. You’ve just got to keep pushing. That’s what he would do. He was a hard worker. You just follow what he did and get through it. It was just a shock. I had to get close with the family. I’ve prayed. You have to get with the people you love most, stay together.”

Faneca took over the role of surrogate father to one of his best friend’s children. He became best friends with Adam Perry during their time at LSU. That relationship carried into their adulthood where Faneca’s been the godfather to Perry’s youngest son, Drake.

Following the shattering news of Perry’s passing, Faneca began mentoring Gresham and took him to camps and ultimately his official visits. 

“He was the No. 1 person that would swing my decisions,” Gresham said of Faneca. “Without him it’s definitely been different. He’s taken me under his wing. He’s been huge. Without him, I may not have gotten the Tulane offer because he brought me to that camp.”

“We talk on the phone frequently,” Gresham said. “I went to his home for a three-day camp at Tulane, Texas and LSU. He took me under his wing and helped me with that. You don’t get much better advice than from him. I listen to everything he says and take it all in because I know how valuable that is.” 

Born into a pro-LSU household, where both of his parents were student-athletes at LSU, along with his older brother and grandfather, Gresham believed his father would be at peace with his decision to attend rival Tulane over UL-Lafayette and Colorado State.

“I don’t know,” Gresham laughed. “He’d probably give that one a laugh.”

Teaming Together for Teurlings

Teurlings Catholic head coach Dane Charpentier thinks the world of both Adam and Gresham Perry.

Adam Perry was around the Rebels program for more than a decade as Head of Sports Medicine, a testament to his expertise in the field of orthopedic surgery, and desire to be around his three sons. This season Gresham and younger brother Drake, a 280-pound junior guard, will line up next to each other on the team’s left side of the offensive line. 

“I felt like our kids were cared for as well as anyone in the state,” Charpentier said of Dr. Perry. “The care our kids got was unmatched and probably rivaled that of some college programs. He demanded quality and had a high standard for everybody. When he was around, he made everyone want to be at their best.”

Gresham benefitted from his family’s genetics – his mother Heidi threw the shot put and discus at LSU and his grandfather, Dan Hargett, was a defensive lineman for the Tigers (1959-61). His father also poured into him countless hours and effort, teaching him the fundamentals of offensive line play, putting him ahead of the game by the time he reached high school. 

By the time a ‘skinny’ 6-foot-1 frame began filling out, Gresham Perry started to look like a carbon copy of his father … right down to wearing his dad’s No. 76. 

“It’s always been a family number,” he said of the No. 76 jersey numeral. “It started with my dad and my brother wore it. It’s a bigger meaning because that number represents so much more. I’ll definitely wear it with pride.”

Gresham took over the team’s starting left tackle spot in 2022 and has since developed into one of the state’s top linemen. The Rebels’ high-scoring offense features Perry’s dominance in the run game, displaying a fierce nature that’s evident of the same ‘mean streak’ his father exhibited. 

“We knew he was going to grow,” Charpentier said. “Gresham was more of the slender, athletic type growing up. I’ve known him since he was a small kid. He’s a big kid naturally, but he’s worked his tail off in the weight room to get to his size.”

Pass protection, which requires the acumen to understand protections, and footwork to deal with strong, sometimes quicker defensive ends, has been something Gresham has excelled in during his career.

“My dad taught me a lot,” he said. “Technique and stance were big ones. From a young age, he showed me how it’s done. Being mean, fighting at the line, was also big. Just being the aggressive player. He pushed me to be the best that I could be, and was always proud of me.”

Father’s Impact Stretches Into Medical Field

Adam Perry’s legacy didn’t just extend to just the playing field. He was also a giant in the medical field and became respected for his work in orthopedic surgery.

He started every game over his final two seasons, helping LSU to a 10-2 record and win in the Peach Bowl in 1997. Not only was he voted the team’s captain, but the four-time member of the All-Southeastern Conference’s Honor Roll also was an Academic All-American in ’96.

Adam Perry completed medical school at LSU’s Health Science Center in Shreveport, finished his residency at the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans, and a fellowship in San Antonio.

Perry settled in Lafayette where he impacted the region with his off-the-field work. He founded the Louisiana Orthopedic Specialists in 2008, a venture that grew to house 16 surgeons/physicians and employs 200 people.

It was common for Gresham to tag along with his father to work, to see him in his element where his propensity for patient care was in direct contrast to the way he played football. 

Gresham came away so impressed with his father’s medical skills he has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps professionally.

“Just seeing him and the way he loved doing it and the success he had,” Gresham said. “He enjoyed being able to touch people’s lives and help them no matter what. That’s always been something I wanted to do. It’s a lot of work and I’m OK with working hard. From a young age, I watched him do that. It’s something that interested me.

“I went with him to his office,” said Gresham, a 3.7 student. “He even worked on me. It’s a cool profession and something I want to be. Being an orthopedic surgeon, you’re a leader in the room and he definitely took some of that leadership from being a captain at LSU. He definitely knew that I wanted to follow that. You’ve got to be a smart guy. He knew that I had that. He’s still proud.”

Charpentier believes Perry is on the path to emulating his father, both on and off the field. 

“He’s done all the work and has all of the ability to follow in his father’s footsteps as an athlete and the kind of man he was,” he said. “He has goals of being an orthopedic surgeon like his father and I expect him to achieve all of his goals.”

Playing For Something Bigger Than Himself

Considering his upbringing in a household of athletes, there was little doubt Gresham Perry was destined to play football. 

With two generations of football players before him, coupled with an older brother, the blueprint for the younger Perry was already in place. His mother also starred at St. Thomas More and LSU in track and discus and her father was a three-year collegiate defensive lineman.

“It was everywhere, I knew football would be my thing since I was a kid,” said Gresham, whose uncle Chris is 6-10 and 400 pounds. “As a kid, I heard stuff about my dad and brother. It definitely was some pressure, and I liked it. I liked the expectations. I came into high school undersized at 180 as a freshman. I really wasn’t built like everyone else. My family was offensive lineman, and I had some doubts and thought maybe tight end. But I got here, bulked up and football’s been my thing ever since.”

The Perry lineage kicked in going into his sophomore season and Gresham sprouted from a 6-foot freshman into a 6-3 sophomore. He started the entire season for the Rebels who advanced to the Division II state semifinals, and a 286-pound junior, was an All-District 4-4A selection on a team that finished 9-4 and a state semifinalist again.

“It’s definitely flown by,” Gresham said. “All of the seniors told us that my freshman year. With two years under my belt, I feel comfortable and I’m ready to go. I enjoy being able to be a huge leader and one of the older guys to lead by example. I know I looked up to the seniors when I was a freshman and sophomore. I know that I have people watching me to be an example as a senior. It’s huge.

“We’ve ended up in the semifinals two years in a row,” Gresham said. “This year, we have the guys to finally break through. We’ve been so close for two years in a row, I think everyone has a little bit of a bitter taste in their mouths. We’ve had a great summer and feeling good, ready to go and have a better season than the last two years.”

Teurlings will enjoy an advantage when they run the ball behind the Perry brothers.

“We just him to be a leader, continue to be the most physical player on the field,” Charpentier said of Gresham. “No matter who we line up against, we feel confident we’re going to be able to get movement on that side of the football, and he’s going to be able to open some things up for us. We’re going to count on that.”

Regardless of what’s been in front of him, Gresham Perry’s always been taught by his father to push through.

But for nearly five months, the younger Perry had to dig even deeper than his dad ever prepared him for. This hasn’t been about trying to move the person in front of him, instead trying to cope with the type of adversity no 17-year-old should have to confront. 

“We’ve got something to play for, someone’s that looking down on us,” Gresham said. “I know I’m definitely going to play for him and put everything out there, just like he would. You play and try to be excellent. You put your head down and work hard. We’ll miss him on the sideline; he cares for everybody. He’ll definitely be missed.”