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Wolfe Perry
Wolfe Perry
Wolfe Perry
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Lieutenant Wolfe Perry Jr.[1] (born January 22, 1957) is an American actor and former basketball player. He played college basketball for Stanford University.[2]

Key Information

Life and career

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Perry was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.[citation needed] He attended St. Elizabeth High in Oakland, California,[3] before transferring after two years to Oakland Technical High School, where he was a top student and basketball player.[4]

Basketball career

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Perry was a standout basketball player at Stanford University and graduated in 1979 with a degree in drama.[4] Perry, who stands 6'2", was a four-year letterman and starting guard for the Cardinal. In his first year, he was one of only four freshman in the Pacific-8 Conference to earn a starting role.[5] He led the Cardinal in scoring average his senior season, 1978–79, with 18.3 points per game, and he was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection. He scored a career-high 34 points in an upset win that season against national powerhouse UCLA.[6] For his college career, Perry scored 1,287 points (18th all time at Stanford) with 258 assists (12th) and 112 steals (9th).

Perry was a favorite of the basketball fans at Stanford, many of whom expected him to be drafted into the NBA. He was drafted in the fifth round of 1979 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. However, he quit during training camp to pursue an acting career.[7] Perry said that his "knees fell apart" and that his "heart wasn't in [basketball] anymore."[8][9]

Acting career

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As an actor, Perry is primarily known for his role as Teddy Rutherford, one of Coach Ken Reeves' new players in the third season of the CBS TV series The White Shadow.[9] He wore the uniform number 21 in his role, which is the same number he wore at Stanford.

In 1980, Perry was a cast member of the PBS series Up and Coming,[10] which was the first weekly American TV drama centered on an African American family. Additionally, he appeared in the 1986 film Soul Man.

He also made an appearance in the 1980s detective show Riptide.[citation needed] In 1982, he appeared in an episode of Hill Street Blues.[11]

Later life

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Perry coached boys basketball for two seasons (2006–2008) at John Swett High School in Crockett, California, before becoming the coach at St. Elizabeth High, his former high school, in 2008.[3]

References

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Wolfe Perry

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Wolfe Perry is an American actor and former college basketball player known for his recurring role as Teddy Rutherford in the television series The White Shadow (1980–1981). Born on January 22, 1957, in New Orleans, Louisiana, he played guard for Stanford University, where he received All-Pac-10 honors during the 1978–79 season and was selected in the fifth round (89th overall) by the Utah Jazz in the 1979 NBA draft. After his basketball career, Perry transitioned into acting, appearing in The White Shadow as a high-school basketball player during the show's final season, contributing to the series' ensemble cast focused on team dynamics and personal challenges. His other acting credits from the 1980s include roles in films such as Space Rage (1985) and Soul Man (1986), as well as guest appearances on television series like Hunter and Up and Coming. Perry's background as a real-life athlete brought authenticity to his portrayals of basketball players on screen during a period when sports-themed dramas were prominent on American television.

Early life and education

Youth and high school

Wolfe Perry was born on January 22, 1957, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later relocated to Oakland, California, and attended St. Elizabeth High School, where he emerged as a standout basketball player, contributing to the 1972-73 boys' varsity team that compiled a 29-2 record under coach John Phillips. He also attended Oakland Technical High School, where he distinguished himself as both an outstanding student and a talented basketball player. His high school performance on the court showcased early promise that drew attention from college programs.

Stanford University

Wolfe Perry enrolled at Stanford University in 1975, where he pursued a dual path in athletics and the arts. He was a four-year letterman for the Stanford Cardinal basketball team, playing as a guard at a height of 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and wearing number 21. During his time on campus, he studied drama alongside his athletic commitments. His college years reflected a blend of competitive basketball and theatrical training, setting the foundation for his later pursuits.

Basketball career

College achievements at Stanford

Wolfe Perry had a standout four-year basketball career as a guard for the Stanford Cardinal from 1975 to 1979. As a freshman during the 1975–76 season, he was one of only four freshmen in the Pacific-8 Conference to start games. His most productive season came as a senior in 1978–79, when he led the team in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game and earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors. That year, he also posted a career-high 34 points in Stanford's upset victory over UCLA. Across his college career, Perry amassed 1,287 points, along with 258 assists and 112 steals. These totals underscored his consistent contributions on both ends of the floor and his role in elevating the program's guard play during that era.

NBA draft and departure

Wolfe Perry was selected by the Utah Jazz in the fifth round (89th overall, first pick of the round) of the 1979 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-2 guard from Stanford attended the team's training camp during the summer of 1979 but quit before the regular season began. A contemporary report in The Salt Lake Tribune noted that Perry left to pursue a future in acting, consistent with his background as a drama major who had directed a Shakespeare production during his senior year at Stanford. This ended his professional basketball career without any regular season NBA appearances. His exit opened the way for a transition to acting.

Acting career

Transition to acting

After concluding his college basketball career at Stanford University, where he had also studied drama, Wolfe Perry shifted his professional focus to acting following his departure from the Utah Jazz training camp in 1979. As a drama student during his time at Stanford, he leveraged this background to enter the entertainment industry. Perry made his screen debut in 1980 with a guest appearance as Kevin in the PBS television series Up and Coming, a drama centered on a successful African American family relocating from Oakland to a middle-class San Francisco neighborhood. This early credit represented his initial step into television acting after leaving professional basketball prospects behind.

Role in The White Shadow

Wolfe Perry is best known for his recurring role as Teddy Rutherford in the CBS television series The White Shadow. He joined the cast in the show's third and final season, which aired from 1980 to 1981, portraying one of the new high school basketball players on Coach Ken Reeves' team at Carver High School. Perry appeared in 15 episodes as Teddy Rutherford, a character who became part of the ensemble following cast changes in the later season. This role represented his most prominent acting credit and followed his transition from a basketball career to performing on screen. The character allowed Perry to draw on his real-life experience as a former college and professional basketball player, contributing to the series' authentic depiction of high school athletics and team dynamics.

Other television and film credits

Following his notable role in The White Shadow, Wolfe Perry continued acting with guest spots on several episodic television series and supporting roles in feature films from 1982 to 1986. During this period, he made single-episode appearances in prominent shows, including as Pearl in Hill Street Blues (1982), Celtic in Newhart (1983), Assistant Cameraman in Hotel (1984), Stock Boy in Riptide (1985), Fly Avery in Misfits of Science (1986), and Valet in Hunter (1986). Perry also appeared in two feature films, playing Billy Boy in the science fiction western Space Rage (1985) and Leon in the comedy Soul Man (1986). His credits in television and film concluded in 1986, reflecting a relatively brief post-White Shadow acting phase.

Coaching career

High school coaching positions

Wolfe Perry returned to coaching basketball in 2006 when he accepted the position of boys basketball coach at John Swett High School in Crockett, California, serving in that role for two seasons through 2008. In May 2008, St. Elizabeth High School in Oakland hired him as its head boys basketball coach. The move marked a return to a high school where he had played for two years before transferring to Oakland Technical High School for his final two seasons.

Later involvement

Perry was head coach at St. Elizabeth High School in Oakland, California, beginning in 2008, with sources confirming this role as of April 2009. Public sources provide no documented end date for the role, though St. Elizabeth High School closed in June 2017, likely concluding any coaching there. Information on Perry's professional or coaching activities after the late 2000s remains scarce in available records. Perry has no recorded acting credits after 1986.
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