Jordan Perryman treats impertinent media questions like passes whistling in his direction. He sticks up a hand and deflects the ones that amuse or annoy him.
Asked why he transferred from UC Davis to the University of Washington, the new cornerback makes an exaggerated sweeping gesture at Husky Stadium and says matter of fact, “You can see for yourself — it’s beautiful out here.”
Quizzed whether he felt it necessary to join the Huskies in order to get to the NFL, Perryman looks you squarely in the eye and says, “I felt confident I could have done it at Davis, as well.”
And queried whether he expects to get picked on as the new guy once the season begins, Perryman was ready for that one, too, responding, “If they watched film, they’ve seen where I was before and what I did on the field.”
If it’s not clear by now, this 6-foot, 202-pound defensive back, a two-time, first-team All-Big Sky selection, brings plenty of moxie and swagger to the reconstructed Husky secondary.
Perryman, according to his coaches, is the total package and a most suitable replacement as the UW does its best to replace the now NFL-employed Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, each first-team All-Pac-12 cornerbacks last season.
“He’s playing as well as anyone on the football team,” co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell said flatly.
Jordan Perryman doesn’t lack for confidence as he explains who he is as a football player.
Dan Raley
It appears that Perryman, who has engaged in epic battles with the other UW player who wears No. 1, sophomore wide receiver Rome Odunze, has a skill set that will work at any level.
“You ask anybody to go from the Big Sky up to Pac-12 football and that’s a significant jump, and he hasn’t batted an eye since the second he stepped on campus,” Morrell said. “He plays with a lot of confidence. He’s got phenomenal football intelligence. He’s got some elite physical traits. And he’s going to do some great things for us.”
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Jordan Perryman feels comfortable in his new UW surroundings.
Skylar Lin Visuals
No one questions Perryman’s talent while throwing a lot of questions his way, but the one about the possibility of him being challenged as a new fixture in the Pac-12 almost seemed to exasperate him.
Morrell, when told about this, laughed and then seconded the notion that his self-assured cornerback had every right to be vexed by the targeting suggestion.
The coach likes the total package this guy brings to his Husky secondary– the physicality, the fearlessness and especially the strut in his step.
“I joke with those guys all the time that if a D-line messes up, nobody knows; if a linebacker messes up, nobody knows,” Morrell said. “If a corner makes a mistake, all 70,000 people know who made a mistake. So you better come with the right mindset.”
For mental sparring, Perryman seems well-equipped.
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