Wolfe Perry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wolfe Perry
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| Born | January 22, 1957 |
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| Other names | L. Wolfe Perry, Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Television actor, basketball player |
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Lieutenant Wolfe Perry Jr., born on January 22, 1957, is an American actor and a former basketball player. He is known for his skills on the basketball court and his roles in TV shows.
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Early Life and School Days
Wolfe Perry Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was younger, he went to St. Elizabeth High in Oakland, California. After two years, he moved to Oakland Technical High School. He was a great student and a talented basketball player there.
Basketball Star at Stanford
Perry became a standout basketball player at Stanford University. He played as a starting guard for the Cardinal team for four years. He was one of only four freshmen in his conference to start playing right away.
Top Scorer and Awards
In his senior year (1978–79), Perry was the team's top scorer. He averaged 18.3 points per game. He was also chosen for the second-team All-Pac-10. This is a big honor for college players. He once scored a career-high 34 points in a game against the strong UCLA team.
College Records
During his time at Stanford, Perry scored a total of 1,287 points. This places him 18th on Stanford's all-time scoring list. He also had 258 assists and 112 steals. Fans loved watching him play.
NBA Draft and New Path
Many people thought Perry would play in the NBA. In the 1979 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz picked him in the fifth round. However, he decided to leave basketball training camp. He wanted to become an actor instead. Perry explained that his "knees fell apart" and his "heart wasn't in [basketball] anymore."
Acting Career Highlights
After leaving basketball, Wolfe Perry Jr. started his acting career. He became known for several roles on television and in movies.
The White Shadow
One of his most famous roles was Teddy Rutherford in the CBS TV series The White Shadow. In the show, he played one of Coach Ken Reeves' new basketball players. Interestingly, he wore the number 21 uniform in the show, which was the same number he wore at Stanford.
Other TV Shows and Movies
In 1980, Perry was part of the PBS series Up and Coming. This show was special because it was the first weekly American TV drama about an African American family. He also appeared in the 1986 movie Soul Man. You might have also seen him in the 1980s detective show Riptide. In 1982, he was in an episode of Hill Street Blues.
Life After Acting
Later in his life, Perry returned to basketball, but as a coach.
Coaching High School Basketball
From 2006 to 2008, Perry coached boys' basketball at John Swett High School in Crockett, California. In 2008, he became the coach at St. Elizabeth High. This was the same high school he attended when he was younger.
