Perkins was a two-time All-Conference end for Ade Olson and Jim Rice in 1958 and 1959. At that time, the All-Conference team in the Wisconsin State College Conference (WSCC) was one squad, not broken down by offense or defense. Perkins was also the team MVP his senior year when he caught 39 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns during an 8-game season.
After receiving his degree in biology in 1961, he went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Washington and also served as a post-doctoral fellow and faculty member in pathology at the Harvard Medical School. He then returned to the University of Washington for a decade as an assistant professor of anatomy and research assistant professor in medicine.
After his career in academia, Perkins entered the pharmaceutical industry in oncology research and drug development. He was employed by companies such as Novartis, Elan, ILEX and Aphton. He was also director of research at Surgical Review Corporation in Raleigh, North Carolina before his retirement in 2007.
Perkins has more than 30 publications to his credit, most of them during his stints at Harvard and Washington.
Following his retirement, he changed direction in helping people in need. Since 2008, he has been on the board of Patriot Paws, currently serving as Chairman of the Board. That non-profit organization provides service dogs for veterans with both mobility and emotional complications such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Much of his time is spent with fundraising activities including communication and meetings with associates such as former President George W. Bush and T. Boone Pickens.
Perkins and his wife Laura live in Rockwall, Texas. Laura was with Novartis Pharmaceutical for nearly 25 years, and most recently was Vice President of Sales, Neuroscience. She is currently a national Vice President of Hemophilia with Baxter Healthcare. They have two children: Bill, who lives in Seattle with his wife Jill, and Lori Mudge who lives in Eau Claire with her husband Bill.