Isiah Perkins and his family on Senior Day in 2019 (Photo by Meghan Murphy)
Senior Reflections-Isiah Perkins
6/5/2020 6:16:00 PM | Football, Academics
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By: UNH Wildcats
By Nicky Bajus Special to UNHWildcats.com
UNH football captain Isiah Perkins (Williamstown, N.J.) brought so much to UNH during his time in Durham. He always did the little things to contribute to the success of the team and led by example as he let his actions do the talking. On the field he was a HERO Sports 2017 FCS Sophomore All-America Honorable Mention recipient and was named the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS Player of the Year by the Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club of South Jersey.
But most importantly, Perkins made an impact on the community by being involved with several important causes such as Read Across America and the Special Olympics, and excelled in the classroom being named to the CAA Football Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll three times for achieving a 3.0 grade point average or better.
Perkins leaves UNH with two degrees. He earned his undergraduate degree in environmental & resource economics and just recently earned his MBA from Paul College. Perkins reflects on his time as a student-athlete at UNH and how the school provided him with the support and tools to become the person he is today. Perkins earned his MBA from Paul College BEING A WILDCAT
When choosing where to go to college, Perkins recognized that UNH was something special.
"I believe the people are what makes UNH so special. UNH is full of people who are welcoming and are always ready to help no matter what. It is what made me choose UNH when I was deciding where to go to college."
Perkins' choice proved to be the right one, and his experience at UNH was one that he will cherish long past graduation.
"My experience at UNH is something I truly will never forget. Throughout my time at UNH I have built relationships that will last a lifetime and have met some amazing people. Whether I was playing football or in the classroom I feel like I maximized every resource UNH provided to help me be the person I am today." Perkins served as a captain in the 2019 season PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Being a student-athlete at UNH gave Perkins the opportunity to make life-long relationships and the opportunity to succeed in both the classroom and the field.
"For me this was pretty tough at first. I think the main way I balanced both academics and athletics was scheduling and planning ahead. You have to always know what meetings you have, assignments you have that are due ahead of time because being an athlete is very demanding."
Going through the process of adjusting to the demanding schedule and learning how to balance both academics and athletics prepared him for whatever the future holds.
"The lessons I have learned from being a student-athlete is something I will always be able to take with me. Whether that deals with time management or even how to embrace working hard. I know I will be ready for whatever the future holds." Perkins earned his undergraduate degree in 2019 LIFE LESSONS
Although succeeding on the field was important to Perkins, he has taken much more than athletic accomplishments away from UNH.
"I have learned that you can always improve on something. Whether you improve in school or on the field. You can always find a way to stay productive at all times."
To Perkins, growing as both an athlete and a person was a driving factor for success.
"At some point during your college career you will have to decide what type of player you want to be and better yet what type of person you want to be. It is something I tell my brother, Brandon, all the time and luckily for my family he will be playing for UNH soon too, therefore I can teach him everything I have learned in the program and he can go into UNH with a head start." Perkins and his brother Brandon SPECIAL MOMENTS
When Perkins looks back at his successful career as a member of the UNH football team, the relationships he built with his teammates who then became like family is one of the most impactful parts of his time at UNH.
"My favorite thing about being on my team would probably be embracing the grind with my teammates. Although it gets hard sometimes, what got me through was knowing my teammates were giving everything they had in workouts, meetings and practices just like I was."
Perkins had a lot of positive moments with the team.
"My favorite moment might have been just recently this year, when we beat Maine at home on senior day! I also enjoyed traveling all over the country with the team and seeing new places I may not have seen without football." The Wildcats defeated Maine in 2019
As his five years at UNH concluded, those relationships Perkins built through his years taught him to make every moment count.
"I will miss being around my teammates the most. You get used to always working out and being around your team which is something you may sometimes take for granted. Luckily for me I can honestly say I embraced every moment."
Although the ending was not what most seniors had hoped for, Perkins has a lot to be thankful for.
"I would just say I appreciate everyone I have crossed paths along the way. I can honestly say I'm glad I met everyone at UNH that I did and I truly will not forget any memories that were made." Please check back to UNHWildcats.com as we continue our Senior Reflections series.
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