*NFL legend William “The Refrigerator” Perry has reportedly fallen on hard times. It was previously reported that the Chicago Bears alum ate and drank his way into an alcoholic, diabetic stupor, and he’s now broke and barely able to walk.
Sports Illustrated reveals that Perry sleeps in a Hummer and reeks of urine “because he sometimes can’t control his bladder, sometimes doesn’t care.” He was popularly known as “The Refrigerator” (or “The Fridge”) because of his imposing size. He toppled the scale in the low-to-mid 300 range during his playing days. Now the 53-year-old weighs in at up to 450 pounds. In 2011 he declared himself an alcoholic, yet he’s still drinking vodka by the bottle.
NY Daily News reports that Perry — who suffers from Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune system disorder — won’t wear his compression socks or orthopedic shoes, and avoids physical therapy. He’s also so desperate for cash that he sold his Super Bowl ring for $200,000, and used the money to pay off some of his debts.
READ RELATED STORY: Sad: William ‘Refrigerator’ Perry Auctioning Off Super Bowl Ring
Despite his troubles, the Fridge claims he’s doing just fine. “I’m home,” Perry said in the article. “And I’m happy. I can’t say everything is peachy keen, but I’m still enjoying life. I love Chicago, but there’s no place like home.” He added: “I’m my own man. It’s simple. I ain’t never trying to be famous. I never, ever try to be extravaganza. I’m just a plain old country boy!”
“It’s a great life wasted,” former Bears coach Mike Ditka told the magazine. Mike’s Gridiron Greats charity has helped pay for some of Perry’s debts, and he finds the situation heart-wrenching. “There’s no reason it has to happen. A bad deal? No, he got a great deal! In life you gotta help yourself. It’s tragic. I think he’s given up. And the question in my mind is, Why?”
Perry was a defensive lineman for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, and played for the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.
“If you didn’t like Fridge,” said Ditka “you didn’t like anybody.”
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