By Bryson Foster | March 2, 2026
As Clemson University quarterback Homer Jordan's pass sailed through the air in the 1982 Orange Bowl, the hope of a fanbase rested on wide receiver Perry Tuttle.
“I wasn't nervous. My college roommate says that I'm the only guy in the world who can make a living off one catch,” said Tuttle.
Tuttle's catch put the Tigers ahead 22-15 over Nebraska and secured their first national championship. Years later, as a struggling pro, he would make another big play—this time in life.
“When I gave my life to Christ, I thought everything would change for the better,” said Tuttle. “There was a joy I can't explain even today, though. I've learned that following Jesus didn’t make my life better; instead, it made me better at life.”
Transitioning from football star to Charlotte Hornets chaplain, Tuttle believes God's plan for him has been clear since childhood.
Early beginnings
Tuttle, from Midway, N.C., was the youngest of seven. His father battled alcoholism while his mother held the family together.
“My mom was the closest thing to heaven I can think of,” he said. “Every day, my mom would put a scripture verse in my shoe. My mom would pray for me that God would use me.”
Tuttle was in special education and failed third grade. In fourth grade, he found football.
“I started playing Little League football with a coach named Pete Chitty,” said Tuttle. “He was taking me home from practice, and he said to me, ‘Perry, one day you're going to play in the NFL.’ I don't know if anyone has ever told you something like that, but it changed my life.”
Tuttle wore No. 22 for Cowboys receiver Bob Hayes and carried his passion to North Davidson High, leading to a visit in his senior year to watch Clemson play Notre Dame.
“I went from not talking and being very shy to dreaming about playing football,” Tuttle said. “I thought that everything that would make me happy was going to Clemson, and I did. That game was an incredible experience, and I made my decision that day.”
Clemson chronicles
Tuttle enrolled at Clemson in 1978, and the Tigers posted an 11-1 record in his first season.
Tuttle and Clemson Head Coach Danny Ford bonded over the next few seasons. Ford prepared Tuttle for the next step in his career and beyond.
“Coach Ford is one of my favorite people,” he said. “He was not only my coach but a friend. He became my dad at times and rescued me. When I look back, the best thing that ever happened to me was being around him.”
Tuttle became team captain in his senior season and led the Tigers to a national championship with seven touchdowns and 827 yards on 47 catches, capping the 12-0 run with his Orange Bowl catch.
“I'd been practicing that one catch all my life,” said Tuttle. “It seemed like it was supposed to happen that way. I'm so grateful to the Lord that, even when I wasn't walking with Him, He still had a plan for me.”
Tuttle made the Sports Illustrated cover after the catch and was drafted in the first round by the Buffalo Bills in 1982.
The next level
Tuttle faced adversity in the NFL, playing for three teams in three seasons. Despite struggles, Tuttle, who had stopped going to church in college, found his faith again.
“Everything the TV said that would make me happy, I bought, but I remember feeling empty,” said Tuttle. “I gave my life to Christ, and then I called my mom. I told her I had prayed for the very first time, and she started crying over the phone.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League gave Tuttle another chance. In six seasons, he rediscovered his love for the game, recording 5,817 receiving yards and 41 touchdowns.
Choosing chaplaincy
Tuttle retired after his six-year stint in Winnipeg and began his next chapter. He finished his degree at Clemson before starting the sports marketing company Total Sports.
A phone call from former Charlotte Hornets guard Dell Curry changed his career trajectory once again.
“Dell reached out to me when the Hornets were the Bobcats and a pastor was scheduled to lead a chapel service. Well, he didn't show up. I drove down to the arena and told them my story,” said Tuttle.
Another no-show opened the door for Tuttle to become one of the full-time chaplains for the team.
“It was easy for me only because I could identify what the players were going through,” he said. “I can walk a player through not only their faith but also the challenges of fame, money, exposure and all those things these guys deal with regularly.”
Tuttle’s advice for the athletes he mentors is simple.
“NBA players are sometimes trying to stand on something that can't hold them. Basketball will let them down at some point. I tell them you’ve got to be standing on something solid, like a rock, which is Jesus,” said Tuttle.
In a world where everyone looks up to athletes, Tuttle said, using their platform to bring people to Christ is crucial.
“Our society is chasing professional athletes to the point that it's almost dangerous. So if that's the case, and I believe that's the case, we're going need pro athletes that chase after God,” said Tuttle.
Tuttle’s life shows that the greatest victories are not won on the field, but in answering a higher calling.