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Photo by: David Silverman Photography
EJ Perry Leads Brown’s Offensive Turnaround
11/19/2021 2:30:00 PM | Football
By Tim Geer, Brown Athletic Communications
From as far back as he can remember, EJ Perry has been attending Brown football games. The Andover, Mass. native has had a connection to the local college football scene his entire life.
"It's funny because I was going to Brown games when I was two and three years old, during Coach Perry's senior year we would come to the games here," EJ said. "The first beginnings were going to Merrimack games and playing catch with my uncles while we watched the games or playing in the backyard. Then I started playing Pop Warner when I was nine."
After starring at Andover High School, Perry was presented with the opportunity to play at Boston College and committed as soon as he received an offer. Perry stepped in as the Eagles' No. 2 quarterback in 2017, appearing in six games over two seasons at BC and completing a pair of touchdown passes, before deciding to transfer after the 2018 season.
"When I decided to transfer, it was a decision made in itself," EJ said. "I was the same year as the starting QB at the time and he had started for two years. I explored all options in both FBS and FCS, narrowed it down to four different schools and chose Brown because it has amazing opportunities academically, an unbelievable opportunity to play in the Ivy League, and to play for a great coaching staff."
Brown head coach James Perry took over the reins of his alma mater in 2019, 20 years after rewriting the Brown and Ivy League record books as the Bears quarterback in the late 1990s. At the time of his being named head coach, the Bears offense was in dire straits. Brown averaged just 13 points and 279 yards per game in 2017, and 14.3 points and 286 total yards of offense per game in 2018, combining to go 0-14 in Ivy League play.
Needing to turn around the offense, James Perry implemented an up-tempo style that played fast, one he had successfully used previously as a coach. That style was quite familiar to his new quarterback transferring in from Boston College.
"Every offense I've been in through high school and college (both BC and Brown) have been up-tempo and they've all been run differently in terms of the actual offense itself, along with the responsibilities of the quarterback," EJ said. "We have a lot of post snap things that we handle in terms of putting the ball in the right place."
EJ's impact on the Brown offense was immediate. In his Brown debut on Sept. 19, 2019, he rushed for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for three more in a 35-30 win over Bryant. He topped the 400-yard passing mark twice against URI and Ivy League co-champion Dartmouth.
More importantly, his impact on the team's offense was indelible. He took a team that averaged 14.3 points the year before and a mere 13 points two years prior, and led them to 30.0 points per contest in 2019. In terms of total yards, EJ was a critical force in helping the total offensive output increase from 285.5 in 2018 to 454.5 just one year later, a 169-yard increase per game. Not only did the passing numbers increase from 220.4 in 2018 to 301.1 in 2019, Perry's 73.0 rushing yards per game also helped the rushing attack increase its yardage by more than 88 yards per game, up to 153.4 in 2019.
The increase was historical and turned heads not only around the Ivy League, but across the nation as well. Perry finished the season with an Ivy League record 3,678 yards of total offense and led the nation with 367.8 total offensive yards per game. He was the third player in Brown history to lead the team in rushing (730 yards) and passing (2,948 yards). His 2,948 passing yards ranked fifth all-time at Brown and 15th in Ivy League history, and his 251 pass completions, in just one year, moved him into 10th all-time on the school's career list.
That trend has continued this season, with Perry leading the Ivy League in seven different offensive categories entering this weekend's finale against Dartmouth, including completions per game, touchdown passes, passing yards, points responsible for, and total offense. Nationally, he currently sits in the top 10 in the FCS in completion pct. (.657), passing yards per game (308.3), points responsible for (176), and points responsible for per game (19.6), and is in the top six in completions per game (4th/28.89) and total offense (6th/349.2).
"It's a really good tradition," EJ said of playing in the Ivy League. "It's a regional conference which you see in the crowds that we get and the atmosphere when we played Harvard was unbelievable. Our out of conference schedule is regional and there's some really cool traditions and stadiums in the Ivy League. It's just been an awesome experience."
For all his individual accomplishments and having an impact on the team's offensive output, Perry is quick to credit his teammates for helping to spur the turnaround. In 2021, Brown saw a completely different receiving core, losing its top six receivers and returning just one player with a touchdown reception from 2019.
"The receivers have done an incredible job absorbing the offense quickly," EJ said. "For some of those guys, like Graham (Walker) in his first year playing, Wes (Rockett) and Hayes (Sutton) in their second year playing, there are not many who have been in this offense for very long, so they've done a great job absorbing the offense, an they've done an unbelievable job of knifing for extra yards and doing all the little things that allow us to have the great seasons that those three are having. They've helped the offense play unbelievable, and the backs have been an unbelievable source for our passing game."
Playing quarterback for his uncle at Brown has helped EJ grow tremendously as a player. Though having played just 19 games with the Bears, EJ is closing in on many of the career records his uncle set two decades ago. Entering his final career game this weekend, EJ ranks third all-time at Brown in total offense (6,821) and career touchdown passes (44), and is fourth in both passing yards (5,723) and pass completions (511). EJ also holds the third-highest career completion percentage at .628.
"He has an unbelievable wealth of knowledge about the quarterback position, about offense in general, and about football in general. It's been an unbelievable experience to learn from him and play under him, and it's going to be sad when it comes to an end but the best way to celebrate that is to win and that's our goal."
"One of the things that's great about EJ is he wants the team to succeed," head coach James Perry said. "He's a terrific player and works hard and demonstrates what it takes to be successful. You so desperately want EJ and the rest of these guys to win and really want to break through here, but I think we're close and certainly closer for having him in the program and helping the program take another step. He's done a tremendous job getting us to this step where I think there a lot to build on."
"The biggest thing for the quarterback is just to execute the offense, putting the ball in the hands of the players that make the plays," EJ said. "It's been unbelievable these last two years watching the plethora of guys who have caught the ball, run the ball and made unbelievable blocks, and that's been something that this offense has gotten really good at, everyone doing their job and executing."
Perry has attracted the eyes of many NFL scouts the last two years and certainly has a chance to play professionally after he hangs up his Brown uniform for the final time. Before then, there is some unfinished business to take care of.
"We want to win," EJ said. "That's the biggest thing and we want to finish this season strong. For us on the offensive side of the ball, we have to execute and the defense and special teams will do the same."
From as far back as he can remember, EJ Perry has been attending Brown football games. The Andover, Mass. native has had a connection to the local college football scene his entire life.
"It's funny because I was going to Brown games when I was two and three years old, during Coach Perry's senior year we would come to the games here," EJ said. "The first beginnings were going to Merrimack games and playing catch with my uncles while we watched the games or playing in the backyard. Then I started playing Pop Warner when I was nine."
After starring at Andover High School, Perry was presented with the opportunity to play at Boston College and committed as soon as he received an offer. Perry stepped in as the Eagles' No. 2 quarterback in 2017, appearing in six games over two seasons at BC and completing a pair of touchdown passes, before deciding to transfer after the 2018 season.
"When I decided to transfer, it was a decision made in itself," EJ said. "I was the same year as the starting QB at the time and he had started for two years. I explored all options in both FBS and FCS, narrowed it down to four different schools and chose Brown because it has amazing opportunities academically, an unbelievable opportunity to play in the Ivy League, and to play for a great coaching staff."
Brown head coach James Perry took over the reins of his alma mater in 2019, 20 years after rewriting the Brown and Ivy League record books as the Bears quarterback in the late 1990s. At the time of his being named head coach, the Bears offense was in dire straits. Brown averaged just 13 points and 279 yards per game in 2017, and 14.3 points and 286 total yards of offense per game in 2018, combining to go 0-14 in Ivy League play.
Needing to turn around the offense, James Perry implemented an up-tempo style that played fast, one he had successfully used previously as a coach. That style was quite familiar to his new quarterback transferring in from Boston College.
"Every offense I've been in through high school and college (both BC and Brown) have been up-tempo and they've all been run differently in terms of the actual offense itself, along with the responsibilities of the quarterback," EJ said. "We have a lot of post snap things that we handle in terms of putting the ball in the right place."
EJ's impact on the Brown offense was immediate. In his Brown debut on Sept. 19, 2019, he rushed for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for three more in a 35-30 win over Bryant. He topped the 400-yard passing mark twice against URI and Ivy League co-champion Dartmouth.
More importantly, his impact on the team's offense was indelible. He took a team that averaged 14.3 points the year before and a mere 13 points two years prior, and led them to 30.0 points per contest in 2019. In terms of total yards, EJ was a critical force in helping the total offensive output increase from 285.5 in 2018 to 454.5 just one year later, a 169-yard increase per game. Not only did the passing numbers increase from 220.4 in 2018 to 301.1 in 2019, Perry's 73.0 rushing yards per game also helped the rushing attack increase its yardage by more than 88 yards per game, up to 153.4 in 2019.
The increase was historical and turned heads not only around the Ivy League, but across the nation as well. Perry finished the season with an Ivy League record 3,678 yards of total offense and led the nation with 367.8 total offensive yards per game. He was the third player in Brown history to lead the team in rushing (730 yards) and passing (2,948 yards). His 2,948 passing yards ranked fifth all-time at Brown and 15th in Ivy League history, and his 251 pass completions, in just one year, moved him into 10th all-time on the school's career list.
That trend has continued this season, with Perry leading the Ivy League in seven different offensive categories entering this weekend's finale against Dartmouth, including completions per game, touchdown passes, passing yards, points responsible for, and total offense. Nationally, he currently sits in the top 10 in the FCS in completion pct. (.657), passing yards per game (308.3), points responsible for (176), and points responsible for per game (19.6), and is in the top six in completions per game (4th/28.89) and total offense (6th/349.2).
"It's a really good tradition," EJ said of playing in the Ivy League. "It's a regional conference which you see in the crowds that we get and the atmosphere when we played Harvard was unbelievable. Our out of conference schedule is regional and there's some really cool traditions and stadiums in the Ivy League. It's just been an awesome experience."
For all his individual accomplishments and having an impact on the team's offensive output, Perry is quick to credit his teammates for helping to spur the turnaround. In 2021, Brown saw a completely different receiving core, losing its top six receivers and returning just one player with a touchdown reception from 2019.
"The receivers have done an incredible job absorbing the offense quickly," EJ said. "For some of those guys, like Graham (Walker) in his first year playing, Wes (Rockett) and Hayes (Sutton) in their second year playing, there are not many who have been in this offense for very long, so they've done a great job absorbing the offense, an they've done an unbelievable job of knifing for extra yards and doing all the little things that allow us to have the great seasons that those three are having. They've helped the offense play unbelievable, and the backs have been an unbelievable source for our passing game."
Playing quarterback for his uncle at Brown has helped EJ grow tremendously as a player. Though having played just 19 games with the Bears, EJ is closing in on many of the career records his uncle set two decades ago. Entering his final career game this weekend, EJ ranks third all-time at Brown in total offense (6,821) and career touchdown passes (44), and is fourth in both passing yards (5,723) and pass completions (511). EJ also holds the third-highest career completion percentage at .628.
"He has an unbelievable wealth of knowledge about the quarterback position, about offense in general, and about football in general. It's been an unbelievable experience to learn from him and play under him, and it's going to be sad when it comes to an end but the best way to celebrate that is to win and that's our goal."
"One of the things that's great about EJ is he wants the team to succeed," head coach James Perry said. "He's a terrific player and works hard and demonstrates what it takes to be successful. You so desperately want EJ and the rest of these guys to win and really want to break through here, but I think we're close and certainly closer for having him in the program and helping the program take another step. He's done a tremendous job getting us to this step where I think there a lot to build on."
"The biggest thing for the quarterback is just to execute the offense, putting the ball in the hands of the players that make the plays," EJ said. "It's been unbelievable these last two years watching the plethora of guys who have caught the ball, run the ball and made unbelievable blocks, and that's been something that this offense has gotten really good at, everyone doing their job and executing."
Perry has attracted the eyes of many NFL scouts the last two years and certainly has a chance to play professionally after he hangs up his Brown uniform for the final time. Before then, there is some unfinished business to take care of.
"We want to win," EJ said. "That's the biggest thing and we want to finish this season strong. For us on the offensive side of the ball, we have to execute and the defense and special teams will do the same."
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