2025 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Shane Perry, LB, East Carolina

• Position: Shane Perry
• College: East Carolina University (transfer from Barton College)
• Position: LB
• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 240lb
• Twitter: @Shaneperry_14 
• Instagram: @Shane_Perry_14 

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2025 NFL Draft?

I think what makes me a top prospect in my position is my experience of being a 4-year starter and will have played in 50 games closing in on 350 tackles. I never missed a game in my entire career. Not many people can say that. Speaks to my durability, consistency, and productivity, and has resulted in a high Football IQ. I use my freakish strength and physicality to excel with the run-stopping ability of a traditional Inside Linebacker, and while my athleticism and measurables may not jump off the page, I have proven to be adaptable to other positions on the field like being a walk-down OLB/DE, or being the highest rated special teams player for us this year.  Everyone likes smaller, fast, athletic LB’s these days, but I’ve been effective in breaking that mold because at some point you have to lay hands on grown men, and football still comes down to being able to win against someone at the point of attack.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

One thing that Professional teams should know about me is that I am the epitome of an Underdog and I carry that mentality with me on the field. I have been denied opportunities and discounted at every level, however, my perseverance, determination, and faith have shined because when I get my opportunity I always make the most of it and work my way to the top. My value and impact come from developing trust and reliability through repeatable performance. Football is my life and I put my mind, body, heart, and soul into the game, and I live to prove people wrong. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

 If I could donate to one cause it would be cancer research and rehabilitation. I’ve been around people fighting their battle with cancer and it’s humbling to see how hard the human body can fight for its survival. I hope new improvements of old technology can be made to help these individuals in any way they can and I know that costs money.

Who was your role model?

My father

Who is your favorite NFL team?

Buffalo Bills (#GoBills #BillsMafia)

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school?

Noah Holmes, he’s another LB at ECU. He has fought through a ton of adversity, including injuries and setbacks, and none of them have handicapped him. He’s an underrated player and always a positive teammate. 

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who think they must know it all. It’s alright not to have an answer to something at that moment.

Who is your favorite teacher ever?

Mr. Smith, he was my math teacher in middle school and high school. He always believed in me and my goals when it came to being a football player. This is when I was playing pop-warner football and he would always ask me what my end goal with football was. At the time is was to be a great high school player because that was the next step in my career. Even though I was extremely undersized and underdeveloped, he would always support me and my goal, and he made sure that I could always come to him with any problems that I may have had going on. And he knew I hated math! But it was his personal investment in me that helped me get through his classes and others, and stay focused on on my goals.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?

My hardest thing to overcome was realizing that coming out of high school I may only have one opportunity to play at the college level and that my dream was going to take even more work. When I got to Barton College I realized quickly that I was at the bottom of the barrel and it was going to take a lot of patience and work to get to where I wanted to be. It took the entire Fall of Covid at Barton for me to be in a position to have an opportunity to play in the spring season. And even after all that work, I was only a 3rd string backer. I did a lot of praying and soul-searching during this time. God had the rest planned for me as injuries and sickness gave me the chance to start our very first game after 70 years against Erskine College and that was the beginning of my career. I’ve never looked back or taken anything for granted since then.

If you could have any franchise restaurant in your house what would it be?

It would be an El Tapatio (Mexican). After just about every college football game at Barton, my teammates and I would go there and eat and talk about the game and how we were feeling. Win or Lose, it was exactly what we all needed to either unwind from a grueling loss or celebrate the win and get our minds readjusted for the upcoming week. They have good, cheap food and drinks, which helped.

What is your favorite snack food?

 Beef Jerky

What is your degree in?

Criminal Justice. I chose this degree because I have always wanted to serve my country and when I was younger I was set on joining the military after high school. However, my love for football grew and grew and I realized that I wanted to play the game that I love for as long as I could before moving on to the real world. My goal with this degree is to join law enforcement in improving this country and keeping its freedoms safe.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis. These guys were the most influential action movie stars of the 80s and helped motivate me throughout my life. I want to know how their struggles helped them overcome adversity in their career and what kept them motivated.

What is your biggest weakness?

Sometimes I get so focused on one goal that I can forget that I have other obligations around me that I need to fulfill. Whether that be checking in with family after a long week of game preparations or making sure that the people around me know what’s going on with me mentally.