Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

Buck Perry was a four-year standout in both football and baseball for Lenoir-Rhyne.  A great athlete at Hickory High School prior to his collegiate days, Perry was the Bears' Most Valuable Player for the 1936 football season and earned All-North State Conference honors as well as being a standout outfielder in baseball.  Following his graduation in 1938, Perry taught at Hickory High and at North Carolina State University before launching a business career around another sport - fishing.  He is considered the "father of structure fishing" and has written 10 books on the subject.  Perry was recently inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and is acclaimed as one of the top fishermen in the world. He has traveled extensively, putting on demonstrations and clinics and helped revolutionize the sport.  He was honored by the college in 1979 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.