AUSTIN, Texas — After the Bengals upset the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, Samaje Perine made a long walk across the field to find his biggest fan in the stands.
“The tears, the emotion we shared after that game, it was real,” said Gloria Perine, Samaje’s mother. “The other type of tears, the sweat and all the work, it all came together and being ready for your moment.”
The guy who grew up loving football at an early age was now going to be playing in a Super Bowl.
“I remember at Academy he picked up a football helmet and was like I want to play football,” said Gloria.
That’s where his career started. Perine played in different youth leagues growing up around Austin and then made the varsity team early in his time at Pflugerville Hendrickson High School. He quickly became a star running back for the Hawks and a bigtime college recruit.
“When he started doing really well we were like, ‘wow.’ That literally exceeded our expectations because we really didn’t have any,” said Gloria.
Perine eventually signed with Oklahoma, and he made an immediate impact with the Sooners. During his freshman season, Samaje rushed for 427 yards in a game against Kansas. That broke the all-time NCAA record for rushing yards in a game. He would rush for over 1,000 yards each of the three seasons he played at OU.
After the 2016 season, Perine entered the NFL Draft, and Washington picked him in the 4th round. After a pretty good rookie season, things got off track with the team that next year.
“One of the first disappointments in his football career, but not so disappointing that you give up,” recalled Gloria. “Keep fighting, keep working hard and trying your best.”
Eventually Perine was let go by Washington, and he found his way to the Bengals. He has been a solid back-up running back to Joe Mixon and contributed on special teams this season.
“[I] pretty much go where I’m needed, that’s the simplest way I can put it,” said Perine. “There’s no specific thing I do best — wherever they need me to go, whatever they need me to do, I do it.”
In the AFC Championship game, the Bengals needed a big play when they were down 21-3 and it was Samaje who delivered. He caught a short pass from Joe Burrow and ran through the defense for a 41-yard touchdown.
“I lost it, completely lost it,” Gloria said, remembering her reaction to that play. “I was like, ‘get the first down, OK, yay, he’s got the first down.’ Then he kept going, and I was like, ‘oh my goodness, oh my goodness, he’s going to score.’”
That play turned the momentum of the game, and the Bengals could come back and win in overtime. It was then that Perine could find his mom in the stands for an embrace that was many years in the making.
“Just all of those emotions came oozing out of both us,” Gloria said. “I was like, 'wow, you did it. I know there’s another game to win but you all did it and worked hard as it a team.' It truly paid off, and it was a beautiful moment.”
A moment the Perine family hopes to share again with a win on Sunday. Gloria will once again be in the stands and waiting to see her son when the game is over.