Wolfe Perry facts for kids
{{Infobox person |image= |othername=L. Wolfe Perry, Jr. |birth_date= January 22, 1957 |birth_place=New Orleans, Louisiana |occupation=Television actor,
basketball player | module =
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Career information | |
| College | Stanford (1975–1979) |
| NBA Draft | 1979 / Round: 5 / Pick: 89th overall |
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
} Lieutenant Wolfe Perry Jr. (born January 22, 1957) is an American actor and a former professional basketball player. He is known for playing basketball at Stanford University and for his acting roles in TV shows and movies.
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Wolfe Perry's Early Life and Education
Wolfe Perry Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California. For his first two years of high school, he went to St. Elizabeth High. Later, he transferred to Oakland Technical High School. At both schools, he was an excellent student and a talented basketball player.
Wolfe Perry's College Basketball Career
Wolfe Perry was a star basketball player at Stanford University. He played as a starting guard for the Cardinal team for all four years. He was one of only four first-year students in his conference to start playing right away.
Key Achievements in College Basketball
In his final year (1978–79), Perry was the top scorer for the Cardinal. He averaged 18.3 points per game. He was also chosen for the second-team All-Pac-10. One of his most exciting games was when he scored 34 points. This helped Stanford win against the strong UCLA team.
During his entire college career, Perry scored 1,287 points. This makes him 18th on Stanford's all-time scoring list. He also had 258 assists and 112 steals.
From College to the NBA Draft
Many Stanford basketball fans hoped Perry would play in the NBA. In the 1979 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz team chose him in the fifth round. However, Perry decided to leave basketball training camp. He chose to follow his dream of becoming an actor instead. He later explained that his knees were hurting, and his "heart wasn't in [basketball] anymore."
Wolfe Perry's Acting Career
After his basketball career, Wolfe Perry became an actor. He is best known for his role as Teddy Rutherford. Teddy was a new player on Coach Ken Reeves' team in the third season of the CBS TV show The White Shadow. Interestingly, he wore the number 21 jersey in the show, which was the same number he wore when he played at Stanford.
Other TV Shows and Movies
In 1980, Perry was part of the cast for the PBS series Up and Coming. This show was important because it was the first weekly American TV drama focused on an African American family. He also appeared in the 1986 movie Soul Man.
Perry also had roles in other TV shows. He appeared in the 1980s detective show Riptide. In 1982, he was in an episode of the police drama Hill Street Blues.
Wolfe Perry's Later Life and Coaching
Later in his life, Wolfe Perry returned to basketball, but this time as a coach. He coached boys' basketball for two seasons (2006–2008) at John Swett High School in Crockett, California. In 2008, he became the coach at St. Elizabeth High, which was his old high school.
