Middlebury football offensive lineman Thomas Perry has been invited to participate in the 100th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl. The game is scheduled for January 30, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and will be televised on the NFL Network.
 
Perry is the only NCAA Division III player invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Game as of December 16. He secured D3football.com First Team All-Region honors from the organization for the second time after garnering third-team accolades last year. The offensive lineman tallied AFCA All-American First-Team status, his third-consecutive All-NESCAC First-Team honor, and was one of six NESCAC players tabbed to the New England Football Writers (NEFW) All-New England Division II-III Team.

The Panther, who was tabbed to the prestigious Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List and was one of just two Division III players to earn a spot on the list, started every game in 2024 and was part of an offensive line that gave up the third-fewest sacks in the conference (14).

Perry saw action in 34 games during his Middlebury career and started each of the last 30 contests. He is the first Middlebury football player to represent the Panthers and play in the prestigious event that began in 1925. The East-West Shrine Bowl is an opportunity for the best college football players in the world to showcase their talents as top NFL Draft prospects in front of all 32 NFL teams' scouts and executives.