Former Bears Super Bowl star shuffles into Caesars Palace

Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002 | 9:24 a.m.

Ted Barg clutched his dark Chicago Bears helmet, adorned with 10 silver ink-scrawled autographs of Bears from varied eras, as if it were made by Faberge. He wore a leather Bears jacket, a Bears T-shirt, a Bears cap -- and apprehension.

Getting frozen by The Fridge can shake up any fan.

In a furrier's shop in Chicago 17 years ago, Williams "Refrigerator" Perry shunned Barg's autograph request. Barg, who spent the first 48 of his 52 years in Chicago, nervously inched toward The Fridge in a queue Sunday morning at Caesars Palace.

Forty-five minutes later, Barg beamed after having shaken Perry's massive right paw and seeing that familiar gap-toothed grin from arm's length.

"What a great guy," Barg said.

Much to Perry's delight and financial benefit, he still is beloved by many -- even someone with a reasonable 17-year-old grudge.

Perry splashed, or belly-flopped, onto the national scene on Oct. 21, 1985, as a 350-pound fullback who scored once and paved the way for two other touchdowns in a Chicago victory over Green Bay.

That was on a Monday night. As part of the celebration of ABC's 500th Monday Night Football broadcast Monday, the network has featured MNF highlight segments this season. Perry had his own halftime slot, with a live interview, a few weeks ago.

"It was wonderful that coach (Mike) Ditka called that play," Perry said. "It gave me the opportunity to run the ball. Of course, ABC had it on, brought it back recently. It was a great moment. They said, 'You're a legend!' Can't ask for anything more. It's an honor."

Perry and former pro quarterback Steve Grogan signed autographs (free) and posed for photographs (for $10) with patrons for nearly an hour by the Race & Sports Book at Caesars.

Grogan told a poignant story about Raymond Berry, who coached New England in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans against Perry and the Bears. Grogan was beside Berry when Chicago scored a safety to increase its lead to 46-10.

"That safety about did it," Berry said to a stunned Grogan. As if the Patriots had a chance, only trailing 44-10 with five minutes remaining.

"Then he gave me a smile and a wink, and he walked down the sideline," Grogan said. "That says a lot about Raymond Berry and how football should be played."

That was also the game in which Perry added to his lore by scoring another short-yardage TD. Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan was not a fan of Perry's lack of experience and poor work habits, but Ditka dictated.

Perry was a 13 1/2-pound newborn, and he kept ballooning. The man with the 22-inch neck and the closet full of size-58 coats conservatively carried 360 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame during his career. He was fitted for a size-23 Super Bowl ring.

He also covered 40 yards in 5.05 seconds, bench-pressed 465 pounds and could dunk a basketball.

He doesn't dunk basketballs anymore.

"You know, life is great and everything," said Perry, who turns 40 next month. "I'm having fun. Enjoying myself. Mainly fishing. Having fun, that's about it. That's the bottom line."

Since his novel NFL career ended in 1995, Perry has been tossed from a wrestling ring by Andre the Giant and lost a decision to Manute Bol on a celebrity boxing card, but he soundly defeated John Madden in a barbecue beef rib-eating contest at a joint outside Dallas.

He pitches a line of work clothes for big men, and every purchase of at least $100 of his "Xone" cooler products comes with a personal phone call from Perry himself. "Joe? It's Fridge. Thanks for the order."

Perry was recognized for his skills as a bricklayer from the Masonry Institute of Washington. He co-owns a subcontracting company with a brother- and father-in-law in his hometown of Aiken, S.C.

Beer and fish, though, keep The Fridge happy. He once consumed 48 cans of beer after playing a game for Clemson, and he corrected a report that he is partial to hooking catfish.

"Anything that bites," Perry said.

Plenty of his fans bit at Caesars.

"You know, it's good to get around," said Perry, next bound for Orlando. "People still enjoy coming around, getting autographs. People still enjoy talking to you. They love getting autographs, and I love getting around, meeting people."

It took 17 years, but Ted Barg could finally say that William Perry made his day Sunday.