Oct. 3, 2001
By Tony Neely
It was the fourth quarter and Kentucky was trailing, 27-20, at Arkansas. A key Wildcat player was on the sideline, watching his inexperienced backup struggle to hold his position while the team valiantly mounted a drive that could tie the game. The sidelined player had suffered a blow to the head and was showing signs of a concussion. He begged to re-enter the action with the game on the line.
“He appeared to have a concussion, but he hadn’t been knocked out,” recalled Jim Madaleno, the UK football athletic trainer. “That made it a ‘gray-area’ decision for the team physician. There’s a lot of pressure in that situation.”
The choice of playing or not playing fell to a bespectacled, gray-haired gentleman – Dr. John Perrine. Amidst the deafening throng of a packed stadium, and with anxious coaches awaiting his verdict, Dr. Perrine quietly evaluated the young man’s symptoms.
“Dr. Perrine told the player that he was through for the game,” Madaleno said. “The player was madder than a hornet. But, after the game in the locker room, the player started feeling worse. Dr. Perrine made the right decision.”
For 37 seasons, those sorts of decisions have been up to Dr. Perrine. He has taken care of the Wildcats, helping heal their illnesses, bandage their wounds and encourage their spirits. At the end of the fall semester, Dr. Perrine is retiring from his post as Director of Medical Services at the UK Student Health Center. He’s also retiring from his role as team physician for Kentucky football.
“What makes Dr. Perrine tick is what’s best for the patient,” Madaleno said. “He doesn’t say, ‘What’s best for the player?’ He asks, ‘What’s best for the patient medically and mentally?’ He’s taught me that the No. 1 component in treating athletes is, ‘Never let an athlete’s emotion dictate medical care. Let the signs and symptoms dictate care.'”Because of that, the kids really trust him. Talking to Dr. Perrine is like talking to your dad or your grandfather. There are several instances when kids have had personal issues and they’ve asked specifically for him. He has a comforting tone of voice and he never loses his temper. He’s a level head in a role in which that trait is greatly needed.”
A native of Maysville, Dr. Perrine got his bachelor’s degree at UK and did his medical training at Vanderbilt. In 1965, he began his medical career at the UK Student Health Service.”They sent a lot of football players to me that season,” Dr. Perrine said. “A year later, I moved into private practice and they kept sending the players to me.”
Dr. Perrine obviously made an impression on the players and coaches. Years turned into decades and hundreds of players became thousands. In 1988, Dr. Perrine returned to campus at the Student Health Center, helping him become even closer to the student-athletes.
“I enjoy being around and taking care of kids,” Perrine said simply. “I’ve gotten to work with a lot of really nice kids. From an emotional standpoint, I don’t think they’ve changed much (in 37 years). Most of them are away from home. They often need encouragement, some ‘patting on (the back).’ “The thing I like best is getting to know the players. The game is more meaningful when you know the kids and know how much they put into practice and games.”
Dr. Perrine notes that two things about players have changed – their size and the improved methods of treating injuries. “In my first year, our biggest player was (All-America lineman) Sam Ball, who was about 240 or 250 pounds,” Perrine said. “Now we have several players who weigh more than 300. And, there wasn’t such a specialized field as sports medicine back then. The injury Ronnie Riley suffered last week would have been a career-ending injury. Now, injuries can be repaired and rehabilitated and a player can be as good as new.”
The job of surgically repairing the joint injuries of UK’s players is Dr. Darren Johnson’s, an orthopedic specialist. Johnson has great respect for the work of his colleague.”It’s hard to find someone who has the passion for kids that Dr. Perrine has,” Dr. Johnson said. “He doesn’t do it for the money or for the glory of being associated with the team. He just cares about kids. That’s the bottom line with him.”
When retirement comes, Dr. Perrine won’t be too far away for a consultation. He and his wife, Lenora, plan to keep their home in Lexington. He’s looking forward to spending more time with his three adult children and five grandchildren.
“I’m trying to learn everything I can from him,” Madaleno said. “I have years of experience. I have worked in the NFL and in the Super Bowl, but being around Dr. Perrine shows me how much I can still learn.”
