Perry Delivering Style On and Off The Field
7/2/2023 6:08:00 PM | Football
Safety was second on TCU last season with 84 tackles
We're about a minute into the call when Mark Perry finally reaches the parking lot.
"I just got out of class right now," Perry explains, his voice sputtering in and out like choppy waves. "That's why it's so loud — I'm walking to my car."
Seconds later, a car door is slammed, a subtle chime plays, and the audio is instantly louder. Bluetooth has connected.
Perry knows all about connections.
"I've really liked the sociology major, being able to study interactions with people," Perry, a 2022 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 recipient, explains of his course work. "My minor is psychology, so studying how the brain works — how we think."
On the field, both Perry's major and minor come in handy.
"Playing safety, you have to communicate," Perry says. "It's something I've always been used to. That started from high school and got bigger as I got into college."
The growth didn't all happen at TCU. Perry, who played his first three years of college ball for Colorado, gradually worked his way up the defensive totem pole in Boulder, leading the team in interceptions and placing third in tackles and pass breakups in his final season with the Buffaloes.
Then, Perry decided to transfer to TCU.
"I had former teammates who had played for Coach (Sonny) Dykes and talked about how much of a good person he was — a good coach," Perry said. "I heard a lot of good things about Coach (Paul) Gonzales, my safeties coach, as well."
Perry was particularly drawn to the power vacuum opened up by the new staff. The depth chart, in other words, was a clean slate; no spots were guaranteed.
When Perry arrived at TCU, he made quick work of climbing the chart. Perry started in 14 games and commanded the defense through strong vocal leadership.
While the transition from a 5-7 season in 2021 to a College Football Playoff appearance, Fiesta Bowl win over Michigan, and CFP National Championship appearance in 2022 shocked many, Perry was not surprised.
"I knew we had a lot of talent," he explains. At the same time, Perry was realistic. "I knew that talent without work isn't proven. We had a lot of question marks going into last year having a first-year staff and a lot of new faces around. So I wouldn't say I expected it. I didn't really know how far we could take it until we started doing it — until we started winning those big-time games."
Those big-time games almost allowed Perry to play his former Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High School teammate in the national championship.
C.J. Stroud, selected second overall by the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft, led Ohio State all the way to the national semifinal against Georgia, where they lost.
"I was hoping they could have made it to the national championship last year — it didn't go their way, but that's all good," Perry says. "That's my guy, we talk all the time. I was really ecstatic to see when he got drafted down to Houston, not too far."
While the two are in constant communication, Perry has not sought much advice from Stroud about preparing for the NFL.
"We are both guys who like to focus on the moment," Perry explains. "Obviously, I know that's gonna be my next step, but I've just been focused on this upcoming season and TCU."
As Perry looks ahead, the return of four of the five starting secondary gives him hope that last year's run can be repeated.
"We're looking at [last season] this year and trying to build off that," Perry says. "Seeing how we went about practice every day, how we went about nutrition, and how we went about the training room… We're going to hold everybody accountable and make sure there's no drop-off."
Two things that will not be returning, however, are Perry's biggest competitors in fashion: Sam Jackson and Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.
Described as the players on last year's team with the most style, Perry, Jackson and Hodges-Tomlinson were always competing to outpace — or out-style — each other.
"We were always trying to come to the games fresh, have on some cool kicks, some fresh tees and stuff," Perry says.
Perry did, however, have an advantage. Last year, he dyed his hair blonde.
"I want it to just kind of stand out … I like a lot of things that are different, that are unique, that stand out."
His sister is the one who convinced him to dye it blonde. But now…
"Right now it's just black," Perry says, laughing. "It's pretty boring right now. By the time the season starts, I'll probably go blonde again."
In between classes and practice, Perry is currently working on building his own clothing brand. He hopes to one day work in fashion design or as a model. If the brand blows up, he'll work for himself.
For now, Perry is working on samples.
"Right now, just basic stuff: tees, sweatshirts, sweatpants," Perry explains. "Once I get going and it starts to grow, I'll start expanding my horizons and trying different things. I just want to make it unique, make it creative, something that you don't see all the time."
