Lowell Perry

Lowell Wesley Perry (December 5, 1931 – January 7, 2001) was an American professional football player and coach, government official, businessman, and broadcaster. He was the first African-American assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL), the first African American to broadcast an NFL game to a national audience, and Chrysler's first African-American plant manager. He was appointed as chairman of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by President Gerald Ford, holding that position from 1975 to 1976. He later served as the director of the Michigan Department of Labor from 1990 to 1996.

Perry was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. His father, Lawrence C. Perry, was a dentist who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1920. Perry was the youngest of four children. He grew up in Ypsilanti, where his father maintained a dental practice and was a respected civic leader. As a youth, Perry joined the Boy Scouts of America organization as well as the National Honor Society. He attended Ypsilanti High School where he was a standout multi-sport athlete. Perry lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track during his high school career. At age 16, he helped lead the Ypsilanti High School football team to the Class B state championship.

Perry graduated from the University of Michigan where he studied history and played football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1950 to 1952. Perry was a two-way player who played end on offense and safety on defense and also handled punt returns for the Wolverines. After the 1951 season, he was selected as a second-team All-American by the Central Press Association and a third-team All-American by the United Press. He was considered as the best defensive back in college football during the 1951 season, and was also selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Big Ten Player and by the United Press as a first-team player on its All-Midwest team.

In three seasons for Michigan, Perry had 71 receptions for 1,261 yards and nine touchdowns. Perry's three-year career total of 1,261 receiving yards was not exceeded by another Michigan player for a decade until Jack Clancy totaled 1,917 yards in four years from 1963 to 1966.

Perry's highest single-game total came against Indiana in 1951, with five catches for 165 yards. He had two additional touchdown catches against Indiana in 1952. His 165-yard game against Indiana was the Michigan single-game receiving record for 15 years, until Clancy had 197 yards against Oregon State in 1966.

Perry also returned 42 punts at Michigan for 351 yards, an average of 10.9 yards per return.

Perry was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the eighth round (91st overall pick) of the 1953 NFL draft. His professional football career was deferred due to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) obligations. Perry joined the United States Air Force, where he achieved the rank of second lieutenant. While serving in the Air Force, Perry played on the Bolling Air Force Team that included Al Dorow, Tommy O'Connell, and Johnny Lattner. Perry was named the outstanding football player in the military.

In 1956, Perry joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an end. On his first play for the Steelers, Perry ran 93 yards for a touchdown in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. In his first six NFL games, Perry totaled 14 catches for 334 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown catch against the Cleveland Browns. Perry also returned 11 punts for 127 yards and nine kickoffs for 219 yards.