PITTSBURGH —It's very rare that Division III players make it to the NFL, or even receive tryouts, but center/guard Thomas Perry is trying to earn a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers at their rookie minicamp this weekend.
Perry, who starred at Middlebury College in Vermont, was a highly-touted small school prospect. He turned heads at the the East-West Shrine Bowl in January, but it wasn't enough to get drafted.
He was invited to two rookie minicamps, however. He was in a rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens a week ago and is now hoping to earn a contract with the Steelers.
"I'm loving it, this is awesome. All the hills, the rivers. It's beautiful. My dad is a Steelers fan and a lot of my friends are Steelers fans," Perry said on Saturday about being invited for a rookie tryout with the Steelers.
Perry, who grew up in Killingworth, Conn, did not have a favorite team growing up, but he enjoyed watching offensive line play. And with his dad being a Steelers fan, he knew all about Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro .
"I just love how physical they were," he said.
Perry also plays with some nastiness. His strength and power are some of his best traits. He had an impressive 31 reps on the bench press at his pro day.
Offensive lineman Thomas Perry at Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp on May 9, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Perry as the 11th prospect among the 70 centers in the draft. "
"He is wired the right way with the intelligence, athleticism and power worth the investment," Brugler wrote.
Jeff Legwold of ESPN called Perry a "hidden gem" because of his strength, lower-body flexibility, versatility and football IQ. One AFC area scout said this about Perry: "Talk to the kid, you're impressed with all of it. I'll say in our meetings there's a place for this guy and let's see what he becomes."
Perry, who stands at 6-foot-2, 310 pounds, knows technique will be key for him at the next level, especially coming from Division III. He's been working with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather in Frisco, Texas. Manyweather has trained former Steelers offensive lineman Dan Moore Jr. , Kendrick Green , Kevin Dotson , and a bunch of offensive lineman across the NFL.
"I love Coach Duke. He's awesome," Perry said. "I love the training, I love the coaching. He's the man. I'm so thankful for him, he's spent so much time with me. Working at center, but also my technique. I did my whole pre-draft training there. We worked on fixing my stance, fixing my hands, fixing my feet, trying to do a better job of running through contact. Everything we do there is O-line focused. I'm so unbelievable thankful for Coach Duke."
Perry is embracing the underdog mentality. He knows nothing is guaranteed as a rookie tryout, but he's grateful for the opportunity.
"I love the little guy. I love the underdog," he said.
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Division III Star Trying to Make Mark at Steelers Rookie Minicamp: 'I Love the Underdog'
