Bryce Perkins Instagram On left: Bryce Perkins with his mother, OreLynette; on right: Bryce and his brother Paul.
Bryce Perkins’ family includes his brother, Paul, and his parents, Bruce and OreLynette. Both Paul and Bruce have had careers in the NFL; Paul is currently on the roster for the Jaguars, and Bruce played in the nineties for two years. Perkins, the breakout star for Virginia football, has made history by taking the team to its first-ever ACC Championship against Clemson.
To The Washington Post in the weeks leading up to the championship game, Perkins explained how his family’s investment in football impacted his own career. He said, “Growing up, I was a running back up until sixth grade. So being out there in the yard, being out there in the field on the grass at a young age, going through running back drills with my dad, just going through those drills and making guys miss, it kind of just translated.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Perkins’ Brother, Paul Perkins, Plays in the NFL for the Jaguars
Football success runs deep in the Perkins family tree. Paul Perkins, Perkins’ older brother, currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a running back. Paul played college football at UCLA, and decided to forgo his senior season in favor of declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Paul was selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the draft. He signed a four-year, $2.5 million dollar contract. In 2018, after sustaining a pectoral injury in the off-season, Perkins was waived by the Giants. He would go on to sign with the Detroit Lions’ practice squad, then the Jaguars’ practice squad, where he is today.
2. Perkins’ Father, Bruce Perkins, & Uncle, Don Perkins, Also Played in the NFL
Both of the Perkins sons followed in the footsteps of their father, Bruce, who played in the NFL as well. Bruce Perkins’ NFL bio reveals a brief, two-year career, first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1990, then with the Indianapolis Colts in 1991.
Now, Bruce works for Boeing, according to his Facebook.
Both of the Perkins sons often post appreciative tributes to their parents on Instagram. Paul wrote of his father, “My dad has taught me so much about life from a young age, one of them is seeing the beauty in reading. Since this picture I haven’t put a book down….”
3. Perkins Played Against His Brother Paul in 2015
In 2015, the Perkins brothers squared off against one another in person, Paul as a running back for UCLA and Perkins as a quarterback for Arizona. Arizona won, 38-23.
Leading up to the game, Bruce spoke with AZCentral Sports about the challenge of cheering on both sons simultaneously. He said, “First of all, we want to make sure the guys have a great game. With this game every year, ever since Paul went to UCLA and me being an (alumnus) of ASU, it’s always been kind of tough. You almost want to wish for a tie.”
Perkins himself pointed out the strangeness of competing against someone he’s always looked up to. He said, “It’s a little weird because I’ve been cheering for him all these years. But I think playing against him is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
As for Paul, he was all smiles about the chance to square off against his little brother. “I really can’t wait to see my brother all suited up in his first college game at the Rose Bowl,” he said. “I’m really excited to see how far he’s come, how big he’s gotten, because I haven’t seen him in a long time. I miss him.”
4. Both of Perkins’ Parents, Bruce & OreLynette, Frequently Attend Games & Support Their Sons’ Football Careers
Both Bruce and OreLynette support their sons frequently at many games, and will likely be in the crowd for Perkins’ big ACC Championship game. In fact, far before either of their sons became successful football players, the Perkins parents were keeping their sons in line at home.
To The Washington Post, Perkins explained how his mother was always trying to keep him in trouble — and how this effort, on her part, translated to his success on the field.
“…running away from my mom when she was trying to catch me when I was in trouble,” he explained, “trying to maneuver away from her when she was trying to catch me… My childhood definitely prepared me, allowed me to get some of the moves in that I have today.”
5. Perkins Does Not Post Publicly About a Romantic Relationship; He Does Not Have a Girlfriend
As Perkins has slowly ascended towards household name-status as a quarterback, many people are increasingly curious about the details of his private life. For now, Perkins has not made any indications on his social media that he’s in a relationship with anyone.
Perkins’ social media feed is almost entirely dedicated to his football career. He has published just a handful of pictures to his Instagram account, and all but three are solely dedicated to football. He has taken the time to give a few familial shout outs, though, including one post for his mother (as seen above) and one for his brother (as seen above.)
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