Championship background helps Perry mold Razorbacks' defensive back room

"During a Coaching 101 class in college at Southern Arkansas University, a professor once told our class that being able to teach anything on the field will make someone a better coach," Pretty said.

While that was 15 years ago, it stuck out that being a versatile coach is uncomfortable at times, but the pay-off is much greater.

That's exactly what happened to Perry when the Atlanta Falcons moved him from an assistant in the secondary to assisting receivers, he got the full 22-player view.

"It was tough," Perry said. "Being on offense for a year is eye opening. Usually when you’re coaching a position you see your 11 guys on your respective side of the football. When I went to offense I was able to see all 22 at that point. It’s like a puzzle, learning how the pieces fit and then learning what receivers like to do, because I’ve been in those meeting rooms, I’ve coached it.

"And now, it’s like a double agent. I’m saying, ‘OK, this is what they’re trying to do. This is how we can attack them.’ We play defense for a living and at cornerback we always want to take the fight to them."

At 33, Perry can still relate to players on the roster, but has received respect for what he stands for which creates loyalty and trust inside the room.

"You can tell he’s got that new generation, but still has that old generation part of it as well," Oklahoma transfer cornerback Kani Walker said Wednesday. "He’s still firm in his morals and what he believes in. But at the end of the day, he still wants you to be free, he still wants you to play yourself, and he still wants you to be able to be comfortable with what you’re in."

Arkansas wants to be fearless this season by being an opportunistic defense that forces turnovers, while bringing more pressure and energy that radiates from the field to sideline and into the stands for fans to create chaos.

"Don’t be scared, show you made a play," Walker said. "Don’t be scared to go up on somebody, don’t be scared to be aggressive. He wants you to be that person and take risks. He wants you to be that person to make everything possible regardless of what play, regardless of what situation or anything. He wants you to dominate that play, and he’s also understanding.

"He’s got that swagger about him. I can say for most of us, we’ve been loving Coach Perry since he’s been here."

One major thing of note from Fresno State transfer Julian Neal is how relatable Perry is because of his knowledge of playing in the SEC which is key to forging a bond between returners and transfers who haven't played in the league.

"It’s always good to be under a coach that played [defensive back] himself, because he knows what it’s like out there, so he’s not going to get onto us about certain stuff," Neal said. "He wants us to be our best at all times, but he knows how it is out there. And being able to learn under Coach Perry has been great for the past few months. I’ve learned a lot, and he’s pushing me to be my best."

Just like other coaches on campus who have or had experience in various professional leagues, Perry knows the ins and outs of what teams are looking for in the NFL which can be valuable for Arkansas' defensive backs.

"Just from him having experience in the [NFL], him taking us the gyms and tools to use being on the younger level trying to get there to that point, it’s awesome," defensive back Jaheim Singletary said. "We are learning stuff like others don’t have in their toolbox yet. It’s been good doing things like he was coaching in the league helping us with that, it’s been good for the whole summer. "

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