'Refrigerator' Perry 'doing fine' after treatment for leg infection

CHICAGO -- Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry said on Thursday his health is improving after a recent hospitalization to treat a leg infection.

"I feel great," Perry said. "I'm moving around. Everything is getting better, so I can't complain. I'm doing fine."

Doctors at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital discovered an infection in Perry's leg in early January after Perry attempted to refill his prescribed medications for diabetes and other ailments.

The doctors permitted Perry, 53, to attend the Bears' regular-season finale on Jan. 3, but only under the condition that he would return to the hospital after the game.

"Sometimes the stuff I have swells off and needs a little treatment," Perry said. "That's what happened, and now off I go."

Perry has battled a variety of health issues over the years and uses a walker to move around.

Nicknamed "The Refrigerator" because of his massive, 335-pound frame, Perry is still one of the most recognizable members of the 1985 Bears, who finished the regular season 15-1 and defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

He played for the Bears from 1985-1993 before ending his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Perry has resided for years in an assisted-living community in South Carolina, but he was in Chicago on Thursday to appear on a local television program alongside ex-teammates Richard Dent and Steve McMichael.