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Perry driven by unique motivation

MORE: Norman grabs major Big 12 offer
Football simply isn't that important.
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It's a concept with which 2015 defensive tackle Jackson Perry believes in. It's why, odd as it sounds, his football recruitment won't really be about football. You see, Perry is looking for a solid science program. Perry wants to be a doctor. This football thing fun, but it's also a means to an end.
Just a junior in high school, the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman standout will drive opponents into the ground and risk hurting them to get to where he wants to go. Eventually, though, he'd rather help heal them.
This isn't a case of a kid with lofty goals likely to be tossed to the side during his first college season. This is a longstanding mission.
This is about his mother.
"My mom, she has kidney failure," Perry said. "When I was 12, she went into the hospital for the first time. She's been in out of the hospital, but she's fine now. She has to get transplants and blood transfusions. From there, I've decided I wanted to be a doctor. I want to be that person to help.
"I've seen too many of my family members pass away from illnesses"
And so schools will need to sell their course catalogues more than their football faculties to get Perry's attention. His first scholarship offer came from Nebraska, a school that Perry admittedly knows little about. He'll start his research in time.
"I know about them a little," Perry said. "I don't know a lot but it sounds good."
Coaches from UCLA, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado have dropped by Perry's school in the last week, and a couple of Ivy League schools have shown interest as well. According to Perry, he grew up watching the NFL, not college football, so there's no dream school in play.
For him, this choice is all about his career - a career he insists has nothing to do with sacks or tackles.
"The most important thing to me is being a doctor, so whatever school has to have some sort of science or medical program," Perry said. "That's No. 1."
As a junior, Perry was a part of a Bishop Gorman team that went 13-2 and captured a state championship.
Rob Cassidy is a West Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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