The 9th-Stringer

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In today’s edition…

He never played varsity football.

But he taught himself how to play QB anyway.

And after walking on to a college team as a 9th-stringer, he became a spring football legend.

Let’s dive in 👇

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Meet The Best Quarterback You've Never Heard Of

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Luis Perez never played a single down of varsity football in high school.

In fact, he stopped playing the sport altogether after seeing little action as a JV player.

Instead, he got pretty good at a different sport – bowling.  And for a short time, he considered seriously pursuing it.

"I competed all over California and Las Vegas and was one of the top-ranked bowlers in the state...I was bowling five days a week."

But no matter how seriously he pursued bowling, his heart was being pulled in a different direction.

"I always had a football in my hand—I even slept with it...I knew I wanted to play quarterback. That was my dream. That was my passion."

The turning point came when Luis' friends invited him to the final football game of their senior year.

Watching the game as a fan, he came to a powerful realization.

“I almost shed a tear just from being up there in the stands, looking down, watching everybody run out of the tunnel,” Perez said in a 2018 interview.

“Looking to my left and my right…I just knew I didn’t belong in the stands.  It’s really a hard feeling to understand…but I knew at that moment that I had to pursue the NFL.  I had to.”

Armed with nothing but a laptop and enthusiasm, he started researching how to play quarterback.

“I mean, I knew nothing…all I knew was I could throw a football,” he said.

“I didn’t know fronts, I didn’t know coverages, I didn’t know how to take a five-step drop, I mean I didn’t know any of that stuff.”

He watched YouTube videos to learn the basics, then began reaching out to coaches for more personalized guidance.

He trained hard, gaining more confidence each day.

But when he walked on at Southwestern Community College – a local JUCO – Perez faced another roadblock.

Head coach Ed Carberry advised him to switch positions.

According to Carberry, quarterback probably wasn't the best fit.

But Perez refused.

Instead, he accepted the challenge of starting as the ninth of nine QBs on the depth chart.

“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.”

Throughout that summer, Luis put in the work.

He kept his head down as other players switched positions, got hurt, or transferred out.

Eventually, he worked his way into the backup role.

Then, in the middle of the season, their starter went down.

Perez finally got his shot.

In his first start, he threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score.

Despite having next to no experience playing competitive football, he put together a flawless first game at the college level.

It was a testament to his work ethic and his hunger to learn and grow.

“After practice, he would have a couple of guys running routes,” said SWC receivers coach Anuyell Goodwin.

“If there were routes he felt like he did not hit on point in practice, he would work those routes after practice.”

A broken leg ended his first season after just three games.  But he came back stronger the next year, leading Southwestern to a conference championship.

That's when he started attracting attention from bigger programs.

With a few offers to choose from, he settled on Division II Texas A&M University-Commerce.

In two seasons there, he threw for 8,327 yards and 78 touchdowns.

In his senior year, he won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the best player in D2 football, after throwing for 5,001 yards and 46 touchdowns.

You read that right. Five thousand yards.

And he capped it off by leading his team to a national championship.

“That is why you work out every day,” Perez said.

“That’s 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.”

Despite the accolades, Luis Perez was not selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.

A few weeks later, the Rams signed him as an undrafted free agent.

He made it through several rounds of cuts until the Rams released him after the final game of the preseason.

But he didn't let it bring him down.

"If you want something badly enough, you will find a way," Perez wrote in his book. "And if you don't, perhaps you didn't want it enough to begin with."

After bouncing around a few NFL practice squads, Perez competed in almost every spring football league that popped up since 2019:

• The Alliance of American Football

• The XFL 2.0

• The Spring League

• The USFL

• The XFL 3.0

• The UFL

He’s the only quarterback to win games in each of those leagues.

In 2023, he landed in the rebooted XFL, opening the season for the Vegas Vipers.

But six games into the season, Vegas traded him to the Arlington Renegades for a linebacker.

Once again, Perez proved the doubters wrong.

He turned the lowly Renegades into a playoff team.

“He’s a galvanizing guy,” said head coach Bob Stoops. “He really brought the team together.  He’s a natural true leader.”

Perez erupted in the playoffs, throwing for 577 yards and 6 touchdowns, and leading Arlington to an upset victory in the XFL Championship.

"Don't give up," he said, as the confetti rained down.  "Keep your faith, stay grounded, and just keep going."

He followed up the championship season by leading the UFL in passing in 2024 and 2025.

But despite being dubbed "The Spring King", the NFL still lingers in his mind.

And Luis Perez is doing everything in his power to earn another chance at his dream.

“I’ve been so close,” he said.

“If that’s my dream and aspiration, why would I ever quit when I’m that close? Quitting is not even a thought. Like, it’s not even an option for me.”

🐶 

Enjoy this story? It’s one of 25 in my book, The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (and Yourself).

Over 210 readers already love it, and I think you will too. Grab your copy on Amazon (paperback or Kindle) right here.

Thanks for reading!

Got an underdog story I should know about?

Just reply and let me know. I read and respond to every message.

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

🌟 Trivia Answer: D) Pinklon Thomas – he was a professional boxer. Which means, yes, Tony Suck and Peek-A-Boo Veach were real big league ballplayers.

⚾️ In case you missed it: Meet the real-life Waterboy – an ex-equipment manager who signed for $1 on his way to making MLB history.

🏖️ Here’s my summer reading recommendation – after you finish The Underdog Mentality, of course 😉 – the first book in my favorite series.

👶 Atta boy.