Luis Perez has experienced the lowest of career lows, getting cut four times by NFL teams.
He has also experienced career highs, quarterbacking Texas A&M-Commerce to an NCAA Division II football championship, winning the Harlon Hill Award — the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy — and leading his team to the XFL championship in 2023.
Perez threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in that title game. He was presented with the MVP award by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Perez, 30, has played in the Alliance of American Football, XFL, TSL, USFL and UFL, leading to a nickname: “The King of Spring.”
The Otay Ranch High School and Southwestern College product tells his story in a new book, “The Spring King: A Champion’s Journey of Passion, Persistence, and Unlimited Possibility.” The 184-page book has received only five-star reviews on Amazon.com.
“I wrote the book to impact others, hopefully young kids,” he said. “Mine is a unique story. I want to inspire people who are thinking of giving up. I want people to read this and hang on and hang in.”
Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez (12) scrambles during the second half of the NCAA Division II college football championship game in Kansas City, Kan., Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
From strikes and spares to Southwestern College
Perez didn’t play football at Otay Ranch.
Instead, he was a nationally ranked youth bowler who threw a dozen perfect games and had a chance at the Professional Bowlers Association.
But after watching his high school friends play their last high school football game at Otay Ranch, he switched sports.
“I figured I could bowl when I’m 50, but the window to play football is small,” Perez said.
So he went on YouTube, searched “How to play quarterback,” and started taking notes.
Perez walked on at Southwestern College without a second of high school experience. Coach Ed Carberry suggested Perez switch positions. Determined to play quarterback, he stuck it out — and was ninth on the community college team’s depth chart.
Over the course of two seasons, Perez climbed up. Quarterbacks got hurt or transferred, and he continued to improve.
Perez became Southwestern’s starting quarterback in 2014, throwing for 1,846 yards and 18 touchdowns and leading the Jaguars to a 10-1 record and a 40-23 win over Santa Monica College in the American Division Championship Bowl.
When no NCAA Division I scholarship offers materialized, he headed to Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M University), beginning his journey as a vagabond quarterback.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Luis Perez (11) passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug.10, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
NFL dream deferred
Since starting his football odyssey at Southwestern, Perez has played for 11 teams and thrown more than 2,200 passes.
He has played for current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, former Chargers coaches Mike Riley and Kevin Gilbride and former San Diego State coach Chuck Long. Perez has gone to training camp with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams (twice), Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers, appearing in several preseason games.
Perez was poised to make the Chargers’ roster after playing particularly well in training camp last summer. But on Aug. 28, the club traded for backup QB Taylor Heineke and moved third-stringer Easton Stick to the practice squad. Perez was cut.
“I thought I showed enough to stick with the Chargers,” he said. “I put myself in a position to make the team. For a San Diego kid, playing for the Chargers was a dream come true.
“I dreamed of running out of the tunnel with the lightning bolt on my helmet. But they made a trade for a veteran and decided to keep Easton Stick. Quite a few times I’ve thought of quitting. But every time I thought of hanging ’em up, God would be in my ear, telling me to hang in. Opportunities always seemed to pop up, so I’ve kept going.”
Luis Perez of the Arlington Renegades throws a pass against the Houston Roughnecks in a UFL football game at Choctaw Stadium on April 06, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/UFL/Getty Images)
Hope is alive in Arlington
The current opportunity is with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL, the league that formed when the XFL and USFL merged.
Coach Bob Stoops’ team is 3-2 following Sunday’s 37-33 loss to the DC Defenders. Perez completed 23 of 33 passes for 248 yards with a touchdown and three two-point conversions.
So far this season, Perez has completed 105 of 148 passes for 996 yards and three touchdowns. After leading the league in passing a year ago, Luis now ranks second among the UFL’s quarterbacks.
The 2025 season marks Perez’s third stint with Arlington. The Dallas suburb is now home to Perez, his wife Brenda and their two children. They recently purchased a home there.
“I’m where I need to be,” said Perez. “Texas is my second home. Arlington is 90 minutes from Commerce. I have such fond memories of Commerce. In the matter of a day, we won a national championship, I won the Harlon Hill Award and my wife and I both graduated from college.”
As for the NFL dream?
“Someday, it will happen,” Perez said. “Someday, I’ll be the guy an NFL team keeps. I just have to keep working, keep my faith in God, and get a break.”
Box: Luis Perez through the years
Year/Team/Stats
2013/Southwestern College/5 games, 42 for 65 passing, 388 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
2014/Southwestern College/11 games, 200 for 295, 1,846 yards, 18 TDs, 3 INTs
2015/Texas A&M Commerce/Redshirt season
2016/Texas A&M Commerce/12 games, 244 for 389, 3,326 yards, 32 TDs, 5 INTs
2017/Texas A&M Commerce/15 games, 421 for 596, 4,999 yards, 46 TDs, 11 INTs
2018/Los Angeles Rams (NFL preseason)/1 game, 8 for 15, 143 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019/Birmingham Iron (AAF)/8 games, 135 for 258, 1,461 yards, 5 TDs, 6 INTs
2019/Detroit Lions (NFL preseason)/1 game, 1 for 1, 5 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2020/New York Guardians (XFL)/5 games, 38 for 61, 418 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
2021/Jousters (TSL)/6 games, 56 for 94, 655 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs
2022/New Jersey Generals (USFL)/6 games, 124 for 173, 1,200 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT
2022/Los Angeles Rams (NFL preseason)/Did not appear in a game
2023/Vegas Vipers (XFL)/6 games, 79 for 121, 900 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
2023/Arlington Renegades (XFL)/3 games, 69 for 102, 730 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTS
2024/Arlington Renegades (UFL)/10 games, 225 for 336, 2,310 yards, 18 TDs, 4 INTs
2024/Los Angeles Chargers (NFL preseason)/2 games, 18 for 32, 139 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2025/Arlington Renegades (UFL)/5 games, 105 for 148, 996 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
Note: Texas A&M-Commerce is now known as East Texas A&M University
Originally Published: April 29, 2025 at 10:21 AM PDT