Former Jaguars quarterback Luis Perez is known as a great listener who welcomes advice from his coaches.
Except the advice that he stop playing quarterback.
Perez, 22, won the 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy as the best football player in Division II. It is considered the Heisman Trophy of Division II football.
In his record-breaking season at Texas A&M University-Commerce he accumulated 4,676 passing yards, 44 touchdowns and a 70 percent completion percentage—all school records. He led his team to a NCAA Division II Football Championship with a win over the University of West Florida.
Perez has received numerous accolades throughout his college career, but that was not always the case. After not playing quarterback at Otay Ranch High School, Perez said when he first arrived at SWC for spring practice, Head Coach Ed Carberry told him he would be better off switching positions. Perez said he respects Carberry immensely, but chose to ignore that bit of advice.
“It motivated me,” he said. “My goal is to be an NFL quarterback, so it made me realize that I had to make moves to improve my game tremendously.”
Perez got his chance to shine during his freshman season after two Jaguars quarterbacks were injured. In his first start at SWC against Los Angeles Pierce College, Perez threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown. Wide receivers coach Anuyell Goodwin said Perez just seemed a step ahead of the Pierce College defense.
“He was attention to detail,” he said. “Getting the ball out on time, made all the right throws and was super accurate.”
This had become the norm for Perez. His decision making, accuracy and chemistry with his receivers gave him the ability to operate with precision. He worked relentlessly with his receivers.
“After practice, he would have a couple of guys running routes,” said Goodwin. “If there were routes he felt like he did not hit on point in practice, he would work those routes after practice.”
Goodwin compared Perez to a former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, who was famously known for his thorough preparation.
“You always hear about Peyton Manning and how thorough he studied his opponents and his attention to detail,” he said. “Luis is of that same mold.”
Carberry said when Perez came home to visit during breaks, he would contact him to watch film and talk football with his old coach.
“The spring before his senior year we watched film on three teams who really gave him problems,” said Carberry. “He wanted to get my opinion on how I would attack those defenses.”
His hard work paid off. Perez beat two of the three teams he watched the following season.
Carberry said Perez showed great leadership during his time as a Jaguar.
“Leadership comes from productivity and doing things well,” he said. “For all quarterbacks productivity is about getting guys into the end zone, coming through when it absolutely has to be done and making that play. That is what Luis was able to do.”
The extra work goes a long way to earn the respect of his teammates, Goodwin said. Determination and the way Perez carried himself made him a guy who was easy to respect and a guy you wanted to play with, he said.
“He was great vocally,” said Goodwin. “He led by example and he was a high character guy and someone you could depend on. The kind of guy you wanted to go to war with any day.”
Perez also showed strong leadership off the field, said his coaches. He was able to bring the team together with his charisma. Carberry said Perez has well developed sense of camaraderie.
“He is a great teammate,” he said. “When somebody who is perceived to be a lower tier guy on the team gets positive accolades from the quarterback, it just takes them to another level.”
During his redshirt year at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Perez and his wife drove to every away game to watch. His team had a playoff game in Michigan against Ferris State University when Mother Nature called an audible.
“Luis and his wife were driving to the game and there was a blizzard,” said Carberry. “Luis dropped his wife off at a hotel, and proceeded to drive through the blizzard and was on his team’s sideline for the game.”
Perez said his redshirt year was beneficial.
“Being able to sit behind and take everything in,” he said. “The chance to get bigger, stronger, faster and smarter among other things was huge for me.”
Perez was able to get acclimated to a new playbook and adjust to a new level of play. He said his coaches at Texas A&M University-Commerce helped make his transition to that level a bit easier, but mostly it was up to him.
“The speed of the game is faster in terms of the players,” he said. “Windows close faster, you have to a have a lot more anticipation and you have to be accurate.”
During his first year as the starting quarterback in 2016, Perez threw for 3,326 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was named First Team All-Conference, All-American honorable mention and was nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy, but it was not enough for Perez
“I felt very honored to have received those awards, but I could not have done it without great coaches and great teammates,” he said. “Ultimately, I still fell short of my goals, which were a national championship and Harlon Trophy winner.”
In 2017, he accomplished both when Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions won the Division II National Championship at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Perez said that moment was the highlight of an incredible year.
“That is why you work out every day,” he said. “That’s is why you do all the running, getting under that squat rack and you keep pushing after it hurts. It is all for that one moment.”
Perez said it took a great team to have a great season.
“I had a great supporting cast around me,” he said. “We had great receivers, a great offensive line and great running backs who could do it all. It was just my job to get them the ball.”
Perez is now training for the NFL draft and a camp tryout with a team in the NFL. Carberry warned about betting against the young quarterback. It is a mistake, he said, he will never make again.
