Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Upper Deck College Legends 2011
Acquired: TTM 2021, C/o Home
Sent: 6/8 Received: 7/1 (31 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
NOTES:
I had been circling the wagons since I got The Fridge back in 2012 at the beginning of that year. I ran into these two immediate set needs that his gracefully signed. Thankfully this time he didn’t use a fading sharpie on these two gems.
Card: Topps 1985
Acquired: Canton Acquisition, 2012
A 10th round draft choice out of Yale- by the Miami Dolphins in 1976, nobody really gave Gary Fencik a chance to make the team roster; However by the time he retired after the 1987 season, he was the Chicago Bears All-Time leader in career interceptions (38) and tackles. Gary didn’t even make it out of camp before he was cut, and the Bears snatched him up where he appeared in 13 games his rookie season. In 1977 Fencik, earned the starting job at Strong Safety and held the position for the next 5 seasons, before he shifted over to Free Safety. Gary earned AP honors in 1981 with 6 interceptions for 121 yards and a touchdown, and a Pro Bowl nomination for his efforts both in 1980 and 81.
With the shift to Free Safety in 1983, Gary saw his time increase as an enforcer closer to the line of scrimmage in defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan‘s scheme. Although Fencik had a super 1984 season with 5 interceptions, a sack, and a fumble recovery, he didn’t find himself earning anymore accolades, but in 1985 contributed to the Bears 15-1 Super Bowl winning season, playing in one of history’s greatest defenses and participating in the Super Bowl Shuffle. Retirement came after the ’87 season, which came on his own terms.
Gary has been in the in the financial industry since 1995. He’s also spent time as a color and in studio commentator for WGN and CBS.
G/Gs 164/140 Tac 1220 Sac 2.0 Fum 13
Int 38 Yds 488 Avg Td 1 lg 69
Cards: ProSet 1990 SB, Skybox 1992, Score Supplemental 1989
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home*
Sent: 1/3 Received: 1/14 (11 days)
*Signing Fee $5.00 per card
The Fridge. Of all the nicknames in football, William Perry’s moniker was among the greatest. The gentle giant, with trademark gapped teeth, William Perry, was a space eating destructive force at DT and in the middle for the Clemson Tigers. Mike Ditka and the Bears would snatch him up in the first round of the 1985 draft. A fan favorite, Perry earned the nickname, “The Refrigerator” because of his frame and weight, – the latter which has continuously been an embarrassing issue in his life. He’d anchor the center of the Bears vaunted 46 defense in Super Bowl XX. The team set numerous defensive records en route to a 15-1 record and the title. During the Super Bowl against the Patriots, Perry also got to try his hand carrying the ball at fullback and also scored a touchdown. The team also was a media darling, loaded with personalities, going so far as to record a SuperBowl video before the game was even played in which the lovable Perry with his gap tooth smile would perform. I even had his GI Joe “The Fridge” mail in action figure at one point, that had a chained mace styled to look like a football. (- Yes Hasbro was struggling with ideas by then.) He even capitalized off of his fame to become a wrestler briefly, appearing in WrestleMania II.
In 1989 his ProSet card became the most valuable card in the collection after it was accidentally printed. Very few were released, and he’d be replaced in the ’89 edition by Ron Morris. Although he’d appear in later card sets and editions of ProSet, his 1989 card was rumored to have been pulled because it showed his correct weight. I liked the Score and Skybox in particular because they really compliment him well. The Score shows him roving the field like a giant Great White, while the Skybox gives him the appearance that he is about to explode off the line.
The Fridge would continue to play for the Bears through 1993, before his weight and injuries became a distraction. Perry signed with the Eagles midway through the 1993 season after being cut from the Bears, -retiring after the 1994 season. It was very odd seeing him in an Eagles uniform. While his numbers in the NFL were not eye popping, with 29.5 sacks, “The Fridge” was a ‘hat guy’ that you needed to put two bodies on to stop from moving up field or occupying space. The first problem is when you assigned 2 guys to him, it freed up somebody else on the D line to come through, like Steve McMichael or Richard Dent. The other problem was Perry would plug up the middle so badly that it made it hard to run inside on the Bears.
After playing in the NFL, Perry was not done yet. With the re-emergence of the WLAF, retooled as the NFLE, Perry attempted a comeback playing for the London Monarchs 1996. Although a lovable poster boy for the team, Perry and the Monarchs did not fare well enough to make the playoffs and he’d re-retire after the season. He’s kept himself busy though, despite being debilitated by both his weight and Guillain Barre Syndrome. “The Fridge” has remained an endearing 80’s icon as well appearing regularly at functions around the US and his hometown of Aiken,SC dabbling in things ranging from equity investments to hot dog eating contests. He’s participated in football events for the Lingerie League and the Continental Indoor Football League (Chicago Slaughter) and was inducted into the Pro Wrestling HoF in 2006.
I had no problem paying a small signing fee for the gentle giant. With his struggles with Guillain Barre and his weight leaving him bed ridden at some points and haven been taken care of his brother Michael Dean, it was the least I could do. The autographs were a bit light on these cards, as he autographed them in a fading silver sharpie, but I was very happy to lodge him as my first success for 2012.
G/Gs 138/111 Tac 506 Sac 29.5 Fum 5 Int 0 Yds 0 Avg -.- Td 0 Lg -.-