BY SARAH HERRING
Perry Shelbred knows how to overcome adversity. He lost his mom and dad, transferred colleges, and adjusted to living alone.
Staying present in the moment has helped him overcome those obstacles both in his life and on the football field.
“Discovering this as a child was interesting because these exact things that helped me through my father’s death and my mom’s passing were emphasized tremendously when I was and became a kicker,” said Shelbred.
His life changed when his mom was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma when he was 19 years-old. As her healthcare proxy and power of attorney, Shelbred made all medical decisions in regards to her cancer treatments. Photo Credit: Bree Smith
Entering freshman year, Shelbred opted first to attend the University of Rhode Island as he earned a football scholarship. This decision was influenced by family, where he opted to be between his home in Southern Connecticut and his twin sister who attended Tufts University in Boston.
Later, he transferred to Stonehill College, as a communication major and kicker on the football team.
When kicking, Shelbred thinks of the advice his mom gave him, “No matter what, believe in yourself, trust yourself and remember you are cut from a different cloth.”
He said his mother was his biggest boost after his father passed away in 2008 from colon cancer.
“I relied on her for all of the things a father can normally offer and do to support a child. My mom was determined and empathic because she filled the role of two parents as a widow at the age of 57. Despite her age and circumstances she was dealing with in the light and weight of my father passing and financial circumstances being altered, she was always the first person to believe in me,” he said.
Stonehill College’s football team won 33-30 to CCSU with Shelbred’s game winning and program-matching 52-yard field goal.
Shelbred brought the Stonehill Skyhawks to victory by kicking a game-winning field goal. The 52-yard field goal matched Stonehill’s program record since 2016, when James Cooper delivered a 52-yarder against Sacred Heart.
He said his mother’s passing lead to a changed perspective, “Kicking since has been a way for me to practice the important qualities that have echoed through my life and outside of the football field. Being present, being good to other people, having confidence, trusting my vision, and learning to make it a reality by doing, and trying my best,” he said.
After kicking the game-winning field goal, Shelbred celebrates with head coach, Eli Gardner.
Coach Gardner said Shelbred is an inspiration to many. “I think everyone in our program is aware of the adversity Perry has faced in his personal life and it is so encouraging to see good things happen to good people,” Gardner said.
Shelbred was very close to his mother, “I relied on her for all of the things a father can normally offer and do to support a child. She was always the first person to believe in me. She came with me to every recruiting camp for college and school visits and I always trusted her opinion and honesty. We were very, very close to say the least,” he said.