Brown University quarterback EJ Perry was expected to turn heads at the NFL Combine.
Perry showed his skills on the field this past season. throwing for 3,033 yards with 23 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 402 yards and added seven rushing touchdowns.
NFL scouts were frequent visitors to Providence to see him play as he earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he earned Offensive MVP honors.
He has potential to become the first quarterback from Brown to be drafted since 1976 when Bob Bateman was drafted in the seventh round by Cincinnati. That could lead Perry to becoming the first Brown player to throw a pass in the NFL.
Read all about EJ Perry’s rise to the top of the football world here
As predicted, he turned heads on the NFL Combine field, but not just when he was going through drills or throwing passes.
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Just before 10 p.m. Friday night, NFL TV correspondent Kimmi Chex shared a video on Twitter of the quarterback collecting litter from around the bench where players sat during the workouts.
“After a full day at the NFL Combine, prospect EJ Perry (QB) Brown University picked up every last piece of trash left by other players on the bench,” Chex tweeted. “Class act. Wow.”
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The tweet quickly drew attention, getting more than 25,000 likes and 2,000 retweets by midday Sunday.
Among those offering kudos to Perry on Twitter was former NFL tight end Jermichael Finley, who tweeted simply, “Character and class.”
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Character and class
— Jermichael Finley (@JermichaelF88) March 6, 2022
The NFL’s Twitter account shared the video to its more than 29 million followers.
But rest assured Perry got plenty of attention for his football skills also.
Athleticism scores for the 2022 quarterback class are official.
Brown University’s EJ Perry earned the highest athleticism score among this year’s QB class (89), followed by Desmond Ridder (82) and Kenny Pickett (79).#NextGenScores pic.twitter.com/4KyW9A1UAo
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 4, 2022
The NFL’s advanced stat crushers Next Gen Stats shared a graphic this week showing that Perry’s athletic measurements put him at the top of this year’s quarterbacks participating in the combine.
Brown University’s EJ Perry earned the highest athleticism score among this year’s QB class (89), followed by Desmond Ridder (82) and Kenny Pickett (79).
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According to the NFL’s combine results, Perry ran the 40 in 4.65 seconds, recorded a 34.5-inch vertical and broad jumped 10 feet, 3 inches.
The NFL draft is scheduled for April 28-30.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: EJ Perry: Brown QB draws attention cleaning up on the sidelines