William Perry ( American football ) William Anthony Perry ( born December 16 , 1962 ) is a former American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League ( NFL ) for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s . Perry played college football for Clemson University , and was recognized as an All - American . He was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft , and played professionally for the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL . In reference to his large size , he was popularly known as " The Refrigerator " or , abbreviated , " The Fridge " . Early years . Perry was born in Aiken , South Carolina . He has stated in an interview that " Even when I was little , I was big " ; by the time he was 11 years old , he weighed 200 pounds . Frequently ridiculed for his weight while growing up , Perry took advantage of his athleticism to silence his critics . He attended Aiken High School and played as a 295 - pound nose guard on the school ' s football team . During an exercise in which his coach instructed all of his fastest players to line up for a 100 - yard dash , Perry joined the group of running backs , wide receivers and defensive backs and eventually was timed as the 6th fastest runner on the entire team . He could also execute 360 - degree dunks on regulation basketball hoops and perform complicated dives into the swimming pool . College career . Perry ' s athletic performances earned him a full - ride scholarship to attend Clemson University in Clemson , South Carolina , where he played for coach Danny Ford ' s Clemson Tigers football team from 1981 to 1984 . He was a member of a national championship team in 1981 , and was recognized as a consensus first - team All - American as a junior in 1983 . As a freshman in 1981 , he earned his " refrigerator " nickname when a fellow player could barely squeeze into an elevator with Perry and their laundry which they were taking to be washed . The player , Ray Brown , said " Man , you ' re about as big as a refrigerator . " Professional career . In 1985 , he was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears ; he had been hand - picked by coach Mike Ditka , however defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan , who had a highly acrimonious relationship with Ditka , called Perry a " wasted draft - pick " . Perry soon became a pawn in the political power struggle between Ditka and Ryan . Perry ' s " Refrigerator " nickname followed him into the NFL and he quickly became a favorite of the Chicago Bears fans . While Ryan refused to play Perry , Ditka decided to use Perry as a fullback when the team was near the opponents ' goal line or in fourth and short situations , either as a ball carrier or a lead blocker for star running back Walter Payton . Ditka stated the inspiration for using Perry as a fullback came to him during five - yard sprint exercises . During his rookie season , Perry rushed for two touchdown s and caught a pass for one . Perry even had the opportunity to run the ball during Super Bowl XX , as a nod to his popularity and contributions to the team ' s success . The first time he got the ball , he was tackled for a one - yard loss while attempting to throw his first NFL pass on a halfback option play . The second time he got the ball , he scored a touchdown . About halfway through his rookie season , Ryan finally began to play Perry , who soon proved that he was a capable defensive lineman . His Super Bowl ring size is the largest of any professional football player in the history of the event . His ring size is 25 , while the ring size for the average adult male is between 10 and 12 . Perry went on to play for ten years in the NFL , retiring after the 1994 season . In his ten years as a pro , he regularly struggled with his weight , which hampered his performance at times . He played in 138 games , recording 29 . 5 sack s and five fumble recoveries , which he returned for a total of 71 yards . In his offensive career he ran five yards for two touchdowns , and had one reception for another touchdown . Perry later attempted a comeback , playing an unremarkable 1996 season with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football ( later NFL Europa ) . Beyond football . Business ventures . In 2006 , he began marketing his own branded barbecue sauce . Also in 2006 , he turned down an offer to become Director of Football Operations for the Continental Indoor Football League ' s Chicago Slaughter . Music . During his popular tenure with the Bears , Perry participated in the recording of two rap records , both in 1985 , in addition to the team ' s very popular " Super Bowl Shuffle " . Walter Payton and Perry recorded an anti - drug , pro - peace rap tune entitled " Together " which was written by four Evanston , Illinois teens . It was re - released in 1999 with part of the profits going to the Walter Payton Foundation . Media appearances . Perry participated in a World Wrestling Federation battle royal at " WrestleMania 2 " in Rosemont , Illinois in 1986 . In 2006 , he returned to the Chicago area to be inducted into the " Celebrity Wing " of the WWE Hall of Fame by John Cena . In 2000 , he was defeated by Bob Sapp in a toughman boxing competition on FX . In 2002 he lost in the third round to former NBA basketball player Manute Bol in a charity boxing match on the Fox Network ' s Celebrity Boxing program . In 2003 , he appeared in Nathan ' s Hot Dog Eating Contest as a " celebrity contestant " . He stopped eating 5 minutes into the competition . This was parodied in an episode of TV Funhouse from the November 11 , 2006 episode of Saturday Night Live in which Takeru Kobayashi plays a hot dog eating superhero . After Kobayashi saves the day by eating a lot of hot dogs , a cartoon William Perry makes an appearance saying " Damn ! " in Japanese . He participated in the 2006 Lingerie Bowl as the super sub . He made a guest appearance in the 1980s television show " The A - Team " . In the 21st episode of the 4th season ( " The Trouble with Harry " ) " Fridge " signs into the same hospital The A - Team is using to help their friend Harry recover . Throughout the episode , Perry only has a few lines — including the funny : " They ' ll never catch him " , referring to his NFL playing days — but he gives out " Bears " caps in the final scene . B . A . Baracus and Hulk Hogan ( who guest starred in the episode as well ) react angrily when they don ' t get a cap , but the large sized Perry is able to calm them down with his huge smile . In 2003 , he appeared in a TV movie on Comedy Central called " Windy City Heat " , opposite an aspiring actor named Perry Caravello , who is led to believe he is acting in a major motion picture . He also made a short appearance in the opening of " According to Jim " ( Season 8 , Episode 15 ) . He starred in a commercial in the 1980s with Jim McMahon , fellow Chicago Bears teammate for Coke Classic and Coke . He appears on the Chef Tony infomercial endorsing " My Rotisserie " in a number of acted scenes where he plays poker with his friends , while singing the praises of the kitchen appliance . During Super Bowl XLIV , Perry joined other members of the 1985 Chicago Bears in resurrecting the Super Bowl Shuffle in a Boost Mobile commercial . In popular culture . Popular rap trio The Fat Boys recorded a twelve - inch single titled " Chillin ' with the Refrigerator " released on Sutra Records . A novelty hit , " Frig - O - Rator " , was released in December 1985 on the Motown label by Roq - In ' Zoo and featured sound bites of Bears game plays . The following year The Fridge was yet again remembered in a rap song , this time by the obscure Los Angeles - based hip - hop group Hard Machine who released the single " Refrigerator " . Perry is one of several real people to be immortalized as with a " G . I . Joe " action figure of himself as The Fridge . The figure was offered in 1986 , the same year the Bears defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl . In 2013 , Perry was named as both original ( as fullback ) and unlockable ( as defensive tackle ) All - Player Legend on Madden 25 , the only player to be named twice , and his career as a running back was only until 1990 . Personal life . In June 2008 , he was diagnosed with Guillain – Barré syndrome , a chronic inflammation disorder of the peripheral nerves . On April 22 , 2009 , Perry was hospitalized in South Carolina in serious condition from his Guillain - Barré syndrome . Perry spent approximately a month in the hospital before being released . In June 2010 , it was reported that Perry suffered from hearing loss , but also that he was improving after his diagnosis of Guillain - Barré syndrome . He had lost more than one hundred pounds ( ) , but was , by this time , back up to . In February 2011 , ESPN ran a somber article about him , citing ongoing health and drinking problems , and a weight of . In April 2011 , Cliff Forrest , a 10 - year - old child , discovered Perry ' s Super Bowl ring for sale . With help from his mother , he purchased it for $ 8 , 500 and returned the ring to Perry . William Perry is the older brother of another , former NFL defensive lineman , Michael Dean Perry .