Rock Perdoni

Renzo Guido "Rock" Perdoni (December 10, 1947 – June 15, 2026) was an Italian-American gridiron football player who was a consensus All-American tackle for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team. Afterward, Perdoni played professionally for three seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Early life Perdoni was born in Italy, near Milan.Associated Press, " Italian Farm Boy Wins Nelson Award," The Day, p. 17 (December 9, 1970). Retrieved August 28, 2014. Perdoni moved to the United States with his family when he was six years old.Mickey Herskowitz, " Herskowitz: Georgia Tech's ramblin' Rock tells of love, life, Lombardi," Houston Chronicle (December 8, 2004). Retrieved August 28, 2014. He grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he attended Wellesley High School and played for the Wellesley Raiders high school football team.

College career

Ferrum College Perdoni initially attended Ferrum College, which was then a two-year junior college, located in Ferrum, Virginia, where he played lineman for the Ferrum Panthers football team from 1967 to 1968. As a second-year starter in 1968, he was a team captain and standout lineman for the Ferrum Panthers team that won the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. He was recognized as the national junior college lineman of the year in 1968.Associated Press, "Perdoni is Lineman," Gadsden Times, p. 13 (December 3, 1969). Retrieved August 28, 2014.

Georgia Tech After completing his sophomore year at Ferrum, Perdoni transferred to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a two-year starter at defensive tackle for coach Bud Carson's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1969 and 1970. 2013 Georgia Tech Football Information Guide, Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 15, 170, 171, 174, 178, 182, 184, 198 (2013). Retrieved August 28, 2014. In 1969 he had ten-tackle performance in which his pass rush contributed to four interceptions in the Yellow Jackets' 6–0 upset of the Georgia Bulldogs. He was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press following his 1969 junior season.Herschel Nissenson, " Owens, Reid Pace AP All-America," The Troy Record, p. 36 (December 5, 1969). Retrieved August 28, 2014. - via Newspapers.com.

As a senior team captain in 1970, he was a key member of the Yellow Jackets team that compiled a 9–3 record, and had 13 tackles in the Jackets' 17–9 victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the December 1970 Sun Bowl.Associated Press, " Jackets' Perdoni Played Despite His Injured Rib," Spartanburg Herald, p. 25 (December 21, 1970). Retrieved August 28, 2014. Following his senior season, he was a finalist for the first annual Lombardi Award, honoring the best college lineman of the year, and he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 1970, when he received first-team honors from the Associated Press (AP), the America Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Central Press Association (CPA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), United Press International (UPI), Football News, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Foundation.2014 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners , National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 3, 7, 14 (2014). Retrieved August 28, 2014.

Perdoni was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. As of 2013, he still ranks among the top ten Georgia Tech linemen for career tackles, with 210.

Professional career After his college career, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, and he played the defensive tackle position for the Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats during the season.CFLapedia.com, Players A–Z. Retrieved August 28, 2014. He also played for the Edmonton Eskimos in , and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1972 and . During his three-season CFL career, Perdoni played in 32 regular season games.Stats Crew, Football, Rock Perdoni. Retrieved August 28, 2014.

Death Perdoni died on June 15, 2026, at the age of 78.Renzo Perdoni

Rock Perdoni

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