Emotional NFL Star Remembers F.R.I.E.N.D.S Show’s ‘Chandler’, Matthew Perry: “Instrumental in My Recovery, I Will Miss You”

Matthew Perry won hearts in reel and in real life. The iconic F.R.I.E.N.D.S actor passed away at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, October 28. Perry’s untimely death sparked an outpouring of love and condolences. Numerous celebrities have shared heartfelt memories and gratitude for the actor’s effect on their lives. Among the recollections, there is one NFL connection that reveals an unexplored side of both the narrator and Perry’s life.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan David Leaf took to his podcast to share his memories of the late actor. Leaf was the 1998 NFL Draft 2nd pick for the San Diego Chargers (now, Los Angeles Chargers), right behind Peyton Manning. Leaf didn’t have a long-lasting legacy in the league, as he retired in 2001, after just four seasons. However, Perry had a long-lasting effect on Leaf’s personal life, which the former quarterback will always carry with him. Leaf’s story is also a bit different than the other ones, and that furthers the respect for our beloved Chandler Bing.

Ryan Leaf recalls how Matthew Perry helped with his recovery

Leaf was going through his toughest phase during the 2008-2012 period. He was initially arrested with burglary and drug charges in 2008, then again in 2012 when he broke into a friend’s house to steal prescription painkillers. Leaf was sentenced to five years in prison but was released on the condition of completing a drug treatment program. He was finally clear of all charges in December 2014.

Looking to start a fresh life, Leaf suddenly ran into Matthew Perry that year. The actor hugged him upon first sighting and carried him on his journey out to the sober life. The former quarterback recalled the story in his podcast, ‘The Straight Line’ while holding back emotions.

“Matthew Perry, Friends star, icon, actor, who dealt with substance abuse and mental health issues for pretty much his whole life, was really instrumental in my recovery. I got out of prison, and when I got to Los Angeles, Matt put his arm around me, immediately. And he carried me for like the first six months probably in Los Angeles, trying to learn how to be a sober person really in a public platform”, Leaf shared on his podcast.

“I don’t know if I’m here right now, being able to do stuff like this or anything if it weren’t for him and him sharing his story and making me understand that you can be a guy in the public eye that everybody knows and still be sober, be humble and be about helping other people.” Although he struggled in his life himself, Leaf expressed his gratitude for how Perry redefined his path and helped him become the man he is today. “And he struggled and struggled and struggled from that point on. It didn’t matter. Because what he did strengthened my recovery and now has gotten me to a place where I’m gonna visit 12 years of sobriety.”

“My only takeaway from this all is that he wanted to be viewed as someone who um wasn’t this famous TV star, but somebody who actually gave back and made it about other people and tried to inspire. And that’s certainly how I’m going to remember him. Because there’s a lot of people that I owe for the life I now have, get to live, and he’s certainly at the top of that. So Matt, will miss you. I’ll miss you. I hope you are finally at peace because I just don’t know if you ever truly were”, Leaf concluded by saying that he would be forever thankful to Perry for the life he gave him, and hoped that Perry was finally in peace because throughout his lifetime, he probably never was.

Read More: Revisiting Late Friends Actor Matthew Perry’s Love for American Football

If this doesn’t make you emotional, probably nothing will. But it does one more thing, and that is respect our beloved Chandler Bing

Matthew and Chandler Bing: Two friends we wish we had in life

Leaf’s story further explains why Perry was the man we loved. He was always thinking about others, never prioritizing himself despite a thousand struggles. While Chandler Bing of The Friends was the funny friend cracking puns and pulling one-liners when you don’t expect him to, the real-life Perry was the epitome of an entire generation, and the face of the people who struggled with addictions, which Leaf belonged to. Both of these are two of the best value additions a person could ask for in his life, yet Perry spent his final days without someone asking him how the Chandler behind the screens was really doing.

Matthew Perry passed away at his Los Angeles home on October 28, bringing an abrupt end to his continuous recovery process, and ending his fans, friends, and doctors’ wish to see him as a fully recovered, joyful person. But The Friends’ Chandler Bing and his lessons are immortal. They will forever be making us happy and take us back in time whenever we remember them. Especially Ryan Leaf.

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