Corner Pocket: A Moment with Transfer Jordan Perryman
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Jordan Perryman is another one of those Big Sky football players who's sauntered into Husky Stadium over the past six months and instantly felt that he belonged.
Unlike the Montana football team, the cornerback is not here to embarrass the University of Washington, only get it back on track.
Perryman fit in right away since arriving as a transfer from UC Davis, so much so that he's run with the first unit since spring practice began, something fellow newcomers Michael Penix Jr., Aaron Dumas and Cam Bright didn't do.
As for that Montana upset last September in Seattle, Perryman remembers seeing the surprising and low-scoring outcome, 13-7 in favor of the Grizzlies, and how he felt about it.
"I was really excited for them," he said. "They came out and proved themselves."
So now this first-team All-Big Sky corner is part of a big college football machine for Perryman's fifth and final season. Kalen DeBoer's staff has raved about this guy who earned respect right away with hard-working approach.
Asked why he came to the UW, the personable Perryman almost considered it a blasphemous question, by turning with a sweeping arm, gesturing to Husky Stadium and saying, "You can see for yourself — it's beautiful out here."
Jordan Perryman (1) waits for spring drill to begin.
Dan Raley
Perryman hails from the same school that produced Chris Petersen as a quarterback, well before becoming the Husky football coach from 2014 to 2019, but Petersen had nothing to do with this personnel move.
After entering the portal, Perryman received a call from new UW defensive-backs coach Juice Brown to see if he might be interested in the Huskies.
The presumption is the connection to Perryman was helped along by Paul Creighton, who's now a UW quality coach and special-teams coordinator, spent the past two seasons with DeBoer at Fresno State as the tight-ends coach and six seasons at UC Davis prior to that.
Either way, the cornerback grew up in Hanford, California, a city that decades ago sent Mark Lee to the Huskies to become an all-conference defense back, recording-breaking punt returner and NFL player.
Jordan Perryman (1) stands with fellow corners Elijah Jackson (25) and Zakhari Spears (14).
Dan Raley
Perryman comes to the UW after sharing in an 8-4 season topped off by UC Davis advancing to the FCS playoffs against South Dakota State. He had 63 tackles, an interception and 12 pass break-ups.
The Huskies are hoping he'll help ease the transition from last year's cornerback starters, NFL-bound Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, to something similarly productive in the secondary.
Perryman appears to have enough belief in his abilities to hold his own. Asked if he felt if it was necessary to come to the UW to reach the NFL himself, he responded, "I felt confident I could have done it at Davis, as well."
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