California Golden Bears Athletics
Carson Perry-Smith scored his career-first touchdown at UNLV.
Photo by: Mike Wondolowski
When His Number Is Called
10/8/2026 1:15 PM | Football, Inside The Lair, Inside Cal Football
Carson Perry-Smith Worked His Way From Walk-On To Contributor
As Carson Perry-Smith bolted out of the backfield on a wheel route, awaiting a pass from Jackson Brousseau late in the third quarter of the Bears' game against UNLV last Saturday, even the most die-hard Cal fans could have seen No. 17 in the wide-open spaces along the left sideline and wondered: Who is that guy?
After all …
** Until that moment, Perry-Smith's career offensive stats consisted of four carries for 14 yards in the second half of the Bears' 49-7 romp over Wagner on Sept. 19.
** Until last Saturday, Perry-Smith wore No. 21 this season. He had switched to No. 17 only days earlier.
** It would be easy to confuse Perry-Smith with the similarly named Cooper Perry, Cal's sophomore wide receiver.
Nonetheless, Carson Perry-Smith emerged from obscurity, so to speak, when he grabbed Brousseau's pass and motored into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown reception. The play ignited a run of 18 points for the Bears to enable them to take a 25-24 lead before they fell 39-31.
Perry-Smith's TD might have shocked the Rebels and Cal fans, but in an interview Tuesday, he said "it's not very unexpected. … When my number got called to go in, I was a little nervous, but if anything, I was excited because I've run that route, that concept and done that before in practice with Jackson."
Regarding the number change, Perry-Smith plays on four special-teams units. Linebacker Aaron Hampton, who also wears No. 21, is another key member of many special-teams units. When Hampton and Perry-Smith would be on the field together, Perry-Smith would have to wear a makeshift, baggy jersey with another number, usually something in the 60s.
So, last week, special-teams coordinator Zach Tink encouraged Perry-Smith to make a permanent number switch to 17.
Perry-Smith said he initially "was a little hesitant" to make the change, "but I was willing to do whatever for the team and it ended up being perfect because I was No. 17 in high school and that was my dad's number in college, so I always wanted to wear 17."
A walk-on at Cal, Perry-Smith went to Granite Bay High in suburban Sacramento. His father Ryan, who was a walk-on at Oregon, played quarterback for the Ducks in the mid-1990s. Ryan Perry-Smith was at Allegiant Stadium last Saturday to see his son score his first collegiate touchdown.
Carson Perry-Smith believes his special-teams experience has benefited him as he has moved up the depth chart at running back because of injuries to Adam Mohammed and Carter Vargas.
Playing on special teams, "I would get used to the pressure of being out there and having the coaches depend on me," Perry-Smith said. "And I feel like using special teams in that fashion has really helped me build confidence to be able to go make plays on offense."
Perry said Perry-Smith's "ability to make those plays on special teams gets him juiced up (and) gets the team juiced up as well."
Perry-Smith came to Cal in 2024 as a wide receiver and switched to running back after last season. As for people confusing him with Perry, well, Perry-Smith understands why they would.
"Our names are similar. We look alike. We have the same haircut," Perry-Smith said with a laugh. "He's a great player; not a bad guy to get confused with at all."
If Perry-Smith is looking for a role model, he could find one in former Cal running Patrick Laird. He came to Berkeley as a walk-on in 2014, spent a redshirt season as a wide receiver in '15 and returned to being a running back in '16.
In his final two seasons (2017-18) with the Bears, Laird rushed for a combined 2,088 yards and had 96 receptions. Laird then spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and two on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad.
Now the analyst on Cal's postgame TV shows, Laird said most walk-ons share "that common struggle. … It's a little bit tougher to crack the playing field, so I think you bond over that."
Perry-Smith and Laird share a bond in terms of their first college receiving TDs. Perry-Smith's came on that wheel route down the left sideline that became a 53-yard score with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. Laird's came on a wheel route down the left sideline that became a 54-yard score with 4:23 left in the third quarter of the Bears' 35-30 win at North Carolina on Sept. 2, 2017.
Laird said he roots for all Cal players, of course, but when he sees walk-ons such as Perry-Smith, Hampton and wide receiver Jordan King have their moments, "you just cheer a little bit more."
As for what advice Laird would give Perry-Smith and other walk-ons, Laird said, "Don't put a mental limit on what your ceiling can be. That advice I like to give because I think I did that to myself personally when I was at Cal and even in my time in the NFL.
"I wish I had dreamed a little bit bigger earlier. I didn't think that I could play in the NFL maybe even until after my junior season. … Why limit yourself on how high your ceiling can be because you don't really know?"
The future for walk-on football players at FBS schools is not certain. Until last season, FBS schools had a cap of 85 scholarship players, but typically would add 15-30 walk-ons. Before last season, the rules changed to allow for as many as 105 scholarship players, but rosters were capped at 105, meaning walk-on opportunities at FBS schools have dwindled considerably.
Cal football general manager/athletic director Ron Rivera said the Bears will continue using walk-ons.
"We will give them an opportunity, and we'll also give them an opportunity to earn a scholarship eventually," Rivera said. "If you don't have walk-ons, you don't find that diamond in the rough. You're taking away the Cinderella story."
Carson Perry-Smith's story might not rate as a Cinderella one, but it's surely compelling. And that TD reception has given him a boost.
"I'm only hungrier now to get out there and prove myself again," Perry-Smith said. "I think the coaches trust me. I think they trust me more now that I've made a play like that.
"So, I hope when my opportunity comes again – whenever my number's called – that I can come off the bench and be ready to capitalize on it."
After all …
** Until that moment, Perry-Smith's career offensive stats consisted of four carries for 14 yards in the second half of the Bears' 49-7 romp over Wagner on Sept. 19.
** Until last Saturday, Perry-Smith wore No. 21 this season. He had switched to No. 17 only days earlier.
** It would be easy to confuse Perry-Smith with the similarly named Cooper Perry, Cal's sophomore wide receiver.
Nonetheless, Carson Perry-Smith emerged from obscurity, so to speak, when he grabbed Brousseau's pass and motored into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown reception. The play ignited a run of 18 points for the Bears to enable them to take a 25-24 lead before they fell 39-31.
Perry-Smith's TD might have shocked the Rebels and Cal fans, but in an interview Tuesday, he said "it's not very unexpected. … When my number got called to go in, I was a little nervous, but if anything, I was excited because I've run that route, that concept and done that before in practice with Jackson."
Regarding the number change, Perry-Smith plays on four special-teams units. Linebacker Aaron Hampton, who also wears No. 21, is another key member of many special-teams units. When Hampton and Perry-Smith would be on the field together, Perry-Smith would have to wear a makeshift, baggy jersey with another number, usually something in the 60s.
So, last week, special-teams coordinator Zach Tink encouraged Perry-Smith to make a permanent number switch to 17.
Perry-Smith said he initially "was a little hesitant" to make the change, "but I was willing to do whatever for the team and it ended up being perfect because I was No. 17 in high school and that was my dad's number in college, so I always wanted to wear 17."
A walk-on at Cal, Perry-Smith went to Granite Bay High in suburban Sacramento. His father Ryan, who was a walk-on at Oregon, played quarterback for the Ducks in the mid-1990s. Ryan Perry-Smith was at Allegiant Stadium last Saturday to see his son score his first collegiate touchdown.
Carson Perry-Smith believes his special-teams experience has benefited him as he has moved up the depth chart at running back because of injuries to Adam Mohammed and Carter Vargas.
Playing on special teams, "I would get used to the pressure of being out there and having the coaches depend on me," Perry-Smith said. "And I feel like using special teams in that fashion has really helped me build confidence to be able to go make plays on offense."
Perry said Perry-Smith's "ability to make those plays on special teams gets him juiced up (and) gets the team juiced up as well."
Perry-Smith came to Cal in 2024 as a wide receiver and switched to running back after last season. As for people confusing him with Perry, well, Perry-Smith understands why they would.
"Our names are similar. We look alike. We have the same haircut," Perry-Smith said with a laugh. "He's a great player; not a bad guy to get confused with at all."
If Perry-Smith is looking for a role model, he could find one in former Cal running Patrick Laird. He came to Berkeley as a walk-on in 2014, spent a redshirt season as a wide receiver in '15 and returned to being a running back in '16.
In his final two seasons (2017-18) with the Bears, Laird rushed for a combined 2,088 yards and had 96 receptions. Laird then spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and two on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad.
Now the analyst on Cal's postgame TV shows, Laird said most walk-ons share "that common struggle. … It's a little bit tougher to crack the playing field, so I think you bond over that."
Perry-Smith and Laird share a bond in terms of their first college receiving TDs. Perry-Smith's came on that wheel route down the left sideline that became a 53-yard score with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. Laird's came on a wheel route down the left sideline that became a 54-yard score with 4:23 left in the third quarter of the Bears' 35-30 win at North Carolina on Sept. 2, 2017.
Laird said he roots for all Cal players, of course, but when he sees walk-ons such as Perry-Smith, Hampton and wide receiver Jordan King have their moments, "you just cheer a little bit more."
As for what advice Laird would give Perry-Smith and other walk-ons, Laird said, "Don't put a mental limit on what your ceiling can be. That advice I like to give because I think I did that to myself personally when I was at Cal and even in my time in the NFL.
"I wish I had dreamed a little bit bigger earlier. I didn't think that I could play in the NFL maybe even until after my junior season. … Why limit yourself on how high your ceiling can be because you don't really know?"
The future for walk-on football players at FBS schools is not certain. Until last season, FBS schools had a cap of 85 scholarship players, but typically would add 15-30 walk-ons. Before last season, the rules changed to allow for as many as 105 scholarship players, but rosters were capped at 105, meaning walk-on opportunities at FBS schools have dwindled considerably.
Cal football general manager/athletic director Ron Rivera said the Bears will continue using walk-ons.
"We will give them an opportunity, and we'll also give them an opportunity to earn a scholarship eventually," Rivera said. "If you don't have walk-ons, you don't find that diamond in the rough. You're taking away the Cinderella story."
Carson Perry-Smith's story might not rate as a Cinderella one, but it's surely compelling. And that TD reception has given him a boost.
"I'm only hungrier now to get out there and prove myself again," Perry-Smith said. "I think the coaches trust me. I think they trust me more now that I've made a play like that.
"So, I hope when my opportunity comes again – whenever my number's called – that I can come off the bench and be ready to capitalize on it."
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