Early in Skyler Perry's career, a man who popularized the No. 11 jersey at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff a few years before him was standing by his locker.
Ben Anderson strung together a career few collegians can boast -- four-year starting quarterback from 2011-2014 who started all but one game (because he allowed a senior to start his final home game), threw for a school-record 9,478 yards and won the school's only outright conference championship. Anderson was one of many heroes in that 2012 SWAC title game against Jackson State University, launching a 95-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to freshman Willie Young with 2 minutes to go in regulation to force overtime. (Tyler Strickland kicked a field goal in overtime to give the Lions a 24-21 win.)
"I got real close to Ben Anderson when I got to Pine Bluff," said Perry, a fifth-year starting quarterback from New Orleans. "He reached out when he found out my number. I remember I first met him when we were playing Southern back in 2019. He walked up on my locker, and I kind of knew who he was, so I introduced myself and things like that."
Anderson, 30, tragically drowned on Lake Ouachita in Garland County on June 11 this year. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, citing a preliminary report, confirmed he was pulled underneath a tube behind a boat and was not wearing a life jacket.
Anderson -- who was a private quarterback coach before joining the coaching staff at Pulaski County's Mills High School -- worked with Perry for "a couple of workouts" during the offseason.
"That was just tragic to find out the news," Perry said. "It kind of hurt me. To live on his legacy, to have his jersey, I appreciate it."
Perry is taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility the NCAA awarded players enrolled in school during the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. If he plays the entire season, he will finish his career with 46 games played -- one more than Anderson -- including five during a spring 2021 run that ended in the SWAC final against Alabama A&M University.
Perry started nine games as a freshman and recorded his highest single-season passing completion rate, 60.2% (177 of 294), for 1,748 yards, 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He threw for a career-high 13 touchdowns during the five-game spring, but in the 11-game fall 2021 slate, his percentage plummeted to 50.3% (153 of 304) and he had only 6 touchdowns against 9 picks despite 1,786 yards.
Third-year UAPB Coach Doc Gamble, a quarterback mentor himself, is pushing for Perry to reach the upper 60s in completion percentage. Second-year quarterbacks coach Kendrick Nord, who starred at Grambling State University in the 1990s, is stressing more consistency from Perry for the Lions to return to championship contention form following a 2-9 season in 2021.
"He's probably one of the hardest-working guys on the team," Nord said. "Just being more consistent in throws and staying focused."
Three other quarterbacks are practicing as Perry's understudies: redshirt freshman Jalen Macon, true freshman quarterback Chancellor Edwards of Mesquite, Texas, and sophomore and Cisco College (Texas) transfer Mekhi Hagens. The group is replenished after the loss of three underclassmen, including redshirt freshman Xzavier Vaughn, who earned a start last fall.
Perry's message to the backups is to maintain a level of excellence.
"The tradition is built," he said. "The goal is championship, championship, championship, even when I leave, because I'll be a proud [alumnus]."
Gamble would much rather see the backups give Perry a run at the "QB1" (starting quarterback) job in preseason camp, which completed its second day Saturday.
"I hope one of them tries to win the job and not be complacent and think [Perry's] the starter, he's been here and he's the guy," Gamble said. "That's not what we want. That's not going to make us better. To make us better, they've got to be better and they've got to push to play."
One way Perry can enhance his legacy on UAPB football, Gamble said, is by winning.
"He ain't got to do it by himself, but it's winning," Gamble continued. "What he can do to continue to help us out is by continuing to take care of the football, but we've got to increase his completion percentage."
The qualities Nord sees in Perry that he hasn't in others could help change the Lions' fortunes.
"I've coached some guys in this conference here and I've coached some really good guys. Skyler is competitive-natured," Nord said. "He works extremely hard. He's one of the hardest working kids I've ever been around, period, even as a player. Those tangibles right there, you just can't teach in an individual."
UAPB quarterback Ben Anderson scrambles during first-half action against Langston University at War Memorial Stadium on Sept. 1, 2012. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo/Matt Johnson)