ARLINGTON, Texas — Luis Perez was like a variety of younger boys. His dream was to be an NFL quarterback. He remembers sleeping with a soccer when he was little.
However the path that he hopes will take him to the NFL sooner or later — even at 30 years outdated — is in contrast to another and has little to do with him being the beginning quarterback for the UFL’s Arlington Renegades or an alum of The Spring League, the USFL, the Alliance of American Soccer and the unique XFL.
That path was so unbelievable that Perez wrote an autobiography, “The Spring King,” which was launched final week. The title is an nod to the nickname he was given for his success within the spring skilled leagues.
“I simply really feel like I would do a disservice to folks on the market if I do not share my story and all the things I went by,” mentioned Perez, whose Renegades (1-0) play the Houston Roughnecks (0-1) on Sunday (midday ET, ESPN/ESPN+). “I hold considering it could actually positively influence lots of people and alter lives.”
Renegades tight finish Sal Cannella has been Perez’s teammate for the final three years. Despite the fact that he is aware of Perez’s background, he nonetheless cannot understand it.
“It looks as if it should flip right into a Netflix documentary or one thing at one level,” Cannella mentioned. “It is acquired to. It is simply a type of tales that nearly looks like fiction, you understand, the place you could not consider it. However the truth that it’s actual simply makes you respect him much more.”
PEREZ PLAYED SOME quarterback rising up in youth soccer, however he was additionally a good finish and offensive lineman. He by no means performed varsity soccer at Otay Ranch Excessive College in Chula Vista, California. As an alternative, he was an achieved bowler. He had 12 excellent video games. He might have gone to varsity on a bowling scholarship.
As he watched his associates play their final highschool soccer sport, it reignited his quarterback dream.
“I knew I might at all times return to bowling,” Perez mentioned. “It is like using a motorcycle. You may bowl while you’re 50, 60 years outdated. Your window to make it to the NFL is so small. You may’t wait on that dream.”
He went to YouTube to discover ways to play quarterback. Sure, YouTube.
“I do not know a quarterback coach, I do not know the right way to even get ahold of those folks, so I am like, ‘Let me get on YouTube,’ and I began watching primary basic tutorials,” Perez mentioned. “All I knew is I might throw a pleasant spiral and I had a giant arm. That is it.”
For hours he would watch highlights of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady. He purchased a full-length mirror to ensure his type was like theirs. He would follow taking five-step drops in his bed room.
He did that for 4 or 5 months when he attached with Akili Smith, the previous No. 3 general decide of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999 who had turn out to be a quarterback coach.
“After that point with Akili, I used to be like, ‘Hey, what do I do any longer? I wish to turn out to be an NFL quarterback, information me the place to go,'” Perez mentioned.
SMITH TOLD HIM about Southwestern School, a junior school in Chula Vista. Perez remembers strolling into coach Ed Carberry’s workplace and saying he was going to be his beginning quarterback.
“The place did you play? The place’s your tape?” he mentioned Carberry requested him.
When Perez informed him he didn’t play highschool soccer, Carberry laughed.
“He mentioned, ‘Observe is at so and so a time. It is junior school so I am unable to minimize you, however you’ll be able to come and check out,'” Perez mentioned. “That is the way it began.”
When he confirmed up for the primary follow, he was the ninth quarterback on the depth chart.
“I am the primary one there, final one to depart, and I am not getting any reps to try to be taught the performs,” he mentioned.
With gamers leaving college or selecting different sports activities, he moved as much as No. 4 on the listing. In fall camp, he received the backup spot. Within the fourth sport of the season, starter Frank Foster suffered a shoulder damage, forcing Perez into the sport. He threw a landing move in Southwestern’s win.
Within the excellent script, he would have been the starter for good.
“Oh, no, no, no. There’s extra to it,” Perez mentioned.
After all.
He suffered a damaged leg a couple of video games later and missed the remainder of the season. He wouldn’t have the ability to get again on the sphere till summer time camp. By then Tofi Paopao, a star at Oceanside Excessive College earlier than attending Florida Worldwide, transferred into Southwestern, and could be the starter. Paopao acquired harm and Perez took over because the starter. He completed the season with 18 landing passes and three interceptions, splitting time with Paopao.
However there have been no scholarship provides when the season ended till a last-minute supply from UC-Davis. However that was pulled after they informed him he didn’t have a transferrable math class from Southwestern.
Devastated, Perez took to the web once more. He checked to see if Division II quarterbacks have made it to the NFL. He discovered the title Dustin Vaughan, who starred at West Texas A&M and frolicked with the Cowboys. Colby Carthel was an assistant at West Texas A&M and took over the job at Texas A&M Commerce, so he known as Carthel.
THE COACHES WENT to California to see Perez work out and supplied him a scholarship. He redshirted his first yr and have become the starter for 2 seasons. In 2016, he set a college report for landing passes (32) and took Commerce to the Division II playoffs the place they misplaced to Grand Valley State within the semifinals.
In his last season, the Lions received the nationwide championship. He threw for five,001 yards and had 46 landing passes. He received the Harlon Hill Trophy winner, the Division II equal of the Heisman Trophy.
He performed within the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, successful the beginning job over Michigan’s John O’Korn and TCU’s Kenny Hill, however he didn’t have an invite to the NFL mix. He threw at Texas A&M’s professional day with Johnny Manziel as the previous Heisman Trophy winner was making an attempt a comeback.
“I get to throw towards a first-round decide, they usually can see what I am like,” Perez mentioned. “That put me on the map.”
However he wouldn’t get drafted. Two weeks later, he didn’t even have an invitation to a rookie camp when the Los Angeles Rams known as. A quarterback backed out of their camp.
“I’m going throw and I kill it,” Perez mentioned. “I most likely had among the finest throwing days I’ve had. And I bear in mind Les Snead, the GM, he brings me in and tells me, ‘You actually impressed me. We will signal you.’ And that was my alternative.”
5 years after beginning his journey on YouTube, Perez was an NFL quarterback — for about 4 months. He was minimize by the Rams on the finish of coaching camp. Two weeks into the season, he was launched from the follow squad.
Since then, Perez has had transient stops with different groups: the Philadelphia Eagles for 3 weeks within the spring of 2019 and 4 days with the Detroit Lions later that summer time. In 2022, he had one other run with the Rams that ended throughout coaching camp.
Final summer time, after main the UFL in passing yards and touchdowns, he was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers. He performed the second half of the second preseason sport however was amongst their last cuts after the Chargers traded for Taylor Heinicke.
“I imply you are that shut, however you attempt to not dwell on the adversity,” Perez mentioned. “5 or 6 years in the past, I might’ve been devastated. That is my hometown workforce. Now? It is like, ‘OK, I did not make it, what am I going to do to be higher so I could make it the subsequent time?’ That is simply my mindset.”
SPRING FOOTBALL HAS saved his NFL dream alive.
He can recite his resume yr by yr.
Birmingham within the AAF in 2019. Los Angeles Wildcats within the unique XFL and traded to the New York Guardians earlier than the league shut down for COVID in 2020. The Spring League in 2021, successful the Mega Bowl with the Jousters.
In 2022, he performed for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. The next yr it was again to the XFL with the Vegas Vipers earlier than he was traded to the Renegades.
He led the Renegades to an XFL championship.
“We weren’t an actual cohesive workforce, and we have been struggling earlier than we acquired him with 4 video games to go, and he actually galvanized our soccer workforce,” Arlington offensive coordinator Chuck Lengthy mentioned. “He introduced all people collectively, acquired all people on the identical web page and introduced a variety of optimistic vitality and took us to a championship.”
Lengthy was runner-up to Bo Jackson for the Heisman Trophy in 1985 as Iowa’s quarterback. He was a first-round decide of the Detroit Lions. He coached Josh White to a Heisman Trophy and Josh Heupel to a nationwide championship at Oklahoma. For the previous three seasons, he has reunited with coach Bob Stoops in Arlington.
“It is probably the most distinctive quarterback story I’ve ever heard,” Lengthy mentioned of Perez’s journey. “And I’ve heard a variety of them. … He is actually sturdy willed and he is simply willed himself to success in studying the sport of soccer.”
Cannella has had the same skilled path as Perez. He grew to become conscious of him after they performed towards one another in The Spring League. In between brief runs with a handful of NFL groups, Cannella has additionally performed within the XFL, USFL and UFL.
Final yr, he led UFL tight ends in catches (53), yards (497) and touchdowns (six) with Perez as his quarterback. It earned him a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the place he was amongst their last cuts final summer time.
“He is most likely the neatest quarterback I’ve ever performed with,” Cannella mentioned. “Simply from how he prepares, being with him on daily basis, seeing how he analyzes the sport, his day-to-day work ethic, studying defenses, why he is selecting this facet of the (route) idea to the opposite, it is actually spectacular.”
Perez turns 31 in August. He and his spouse, Brenda, have two youngsters. He is aware of folks suppose the chances are towards him, however he won’t cease.
“Yearly I ask myself, ‘Do I get pleasure from getting up at 4 o’clock within the morning? Do I get pleasure from figuring out, coaching? Sure. Am I nonetheless taking part in at a excessive stage? Sure. Am I injured? No,” Perez mentioned. “So I am good. So I am simply going to proceed to maintain taking part in. My objective is to go to the NFL. I am not simply doing it for the enjoyable of it. Clearly, it’s enjoyable to me, however my objective is to go to the NFL and supply for my household a greater life. And, yeah, that is sort of the place it is at.”
