Perlo signed with the
Washington Redskins of the
National Football League (NFL) on April 14, 1958, after going undrafted in the
1958 NFL draft. Perlo signed with the
Houston Oilers of the
American Football League (AFL) in 1960. On November 13, 1960, against the
Los Angeles Chargers, Perlo suffered a career-ending neck injury after colliding with
Howard Clark. On January 1, 1961, the Oilers beat the Chargers in the
1960 AFL Championship Game by a score of 24–16. ==Personal life==