Courtesy of Brian Beard

After an exciting 17–9 win over Bates College (2–6), the football team (2–6) is looking to end its season on a high note in Colby-Bates-Bowdoin play. In their victory last Saturday, kicker Caden Perry ’27 played a crucial role in the team’s success, including averaging 41.2 yards on nine punts, five of which pinned Bates behind their 20-yard line.

Perry always knew he wanted to play football. The junior from Houston, Texas began working towards the goal before he even reached middle school.

“[I started playing football in sixth grade] but I started practicing for it in fifth grade,” Perry said. “I’d actually go with my dad and wake up before school and …  practice for an hour with just him on the football field, and then go shower [and] go to elementary school.”

Having grown up playing soccer, Perry found his place on the field through kicking. As he played through his secondary school years, Perry made his impact.

“I started to really have an impact on the team [as a kicker], especially in middle school, and half the teams don’t have a kicker,” Perry said. “And then in high school, I was able to be on the varsity team for three of my four years.”

Just as he had set his mind on playing football as a kid, Perry was equally committed to reaching the collegiate level. As he went through the recruiting process, Bowdoin became his home.

“I really wanted to play college football forever. That was the goal for a long time. It wasn’t just something that I decided to do one day,” he said. “I found Bowdoin because I was really interested in a lot of high academic schools, [I] loved all the coaches and then had a great time [when I visited].”

The team’s culture has been the key to shaping Perry’s experience. He shared his genuine gratitude for his teammates, particularly as they embrace their special teams roles.

“It’s not necessarily everybody’s goal or favorite thing to be on special teams, but a lot of the guys have really owned being a part of it,” Perry said.

This season, he has stayed focused on executing for the team. Perry hit a 37-yard field goal against Hamilton, as well as a 76-yard punt versus Middlebury.

“I’m much more interested in the team winning than me being successful. If I can do my job well, it will help the team win,” Perry said. “In the grand scheme of things, punts are typically not correlated to a winning team. I’m just hopeful to do everything that I can in my power to help the team win.”

Leading up to the season and each game, Perry works hard off the field mentally and physically to prepare. However, once he steps onto the field, Perry allows his mind to go quiet, centering himself for the team’s success. Looking ahead to the team’s matchup at Colby College (5–3) tomorrow, Perry is maintaining his focus on stability.

“Whenever I go onto the field, I just don’t think about anything, literally nothing, not one specific thing that I want to make sure I do on the kick, or anything like that. I have a routine,” Perry said. “During the game, I understand where I need to go on the field and then I take a deep breath and just go do it.”