http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/15130735.htm
Perry gets chance to prove his worth
A seventh-round pick, the running back wants to show he is first-rate.
By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bruce Perry just viewed it as another chance to heed Brian Westbrook's sage advice.
"Brian always tells me to take advantage of the chances when they give them to you," the Philadelphia native said yesterday after the Eagles' long practice in the intense heat at Lehigh University.
On this day, the running back's opportunity on offense came with the second team even though his name remains third on the Eagles' depth chart behind Westbrook and Ryan Moats.
"I think Bruce is someone who has the ability to play in this league," Westbrook said. "He's been behind the eight ball a little bit just because they brought in Ryan Moats. But when he gets that crack, he has to make the most of it. He has to make that crack into a big separation."
That's exactly what Perry did late last season when he finally got a chance to step onto an NFL field in a regular-season game.
After spending his 2004 rookie season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, Perry was relegated to the practice squad a year ago when the Eagles claimed Lamar Gordon off waivers to be their No. 2 running back.
With just two games remaining and nothing left to play for, the Eagles signed Perry off the practice squad the week before Christmas. He responded with a monster performance on kickoff returns against the Arizona Cardinals. Perry returned six kicks for 190 yards, with his longest going 49 yards.
A week later, after Moats picked up just 13 yards on nine carries against the Cardinals, Perry got another opportunity. This time, he was the starting tailback in a hometown game against the Washington Redskins, owners of the ninth-best defense in the NFL and a team in need of a victory to make the playoffs.
Again, Perry performed well. In addition to returning four kicks for 83 yards, he carried 15 times for 70 yards, an impressive 4.7 yards per carry, in a 31-20 loss.
His foot was in the NFL door, which is why he checked in at Lehigh on Sunday with a different attitude.
"No question," Perry said. "I'm more in shape, I'm more mentally focused and I'm more confident. When you have confidence at this level, you're going to be able to succeed."
Westbrook has clearly helped Perry's confidence. The two worked out together in Maryland during the month leading into training camp.
"I do a lot of position-specific training down there, and I have a great trainer down there," Westbrook said. "I told him if he came down there with me, he'd be in great shape and get a good workout in."
Perry, a star at George Washington High and the University of Maryland, has more than just confidence as he enters his third NFL season.
"It was great to get that opportunity last year," he said. "Even though I got that chance and I produced somewhat, I still have a chip on my shoulder and I'm ready to prove something to the people in Philadelphia."
Listen to Perry long enough and you realize the chip is the size of an ice block.
"People have their doubts," he said. "I'm a seventh-round pick, and they think that a seventh-round pick really isn't worth anything. Well, I'm not worth a seventh-round pick. I'm a first-day pick that just happened to have some injuries."
He has a point.
Had he duplicated his sophomore season at Maryland as a junior and senior, he probably would have been a first-round pick in 2004.
Perry does not think many Eagles fans remember that he was the ACC player of the year in 2001 when he led Maryland to an Orange Bowl berth. He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award that goes to the best running back in the nation.
"Of course it's forgotten," Perry said. "Some Philadelphia fans don't really recognize me because I was in Maryland and people here don't get those games. But I'm focused and I'm ready."
Mention that some people think Perry is injury-prone and that chip resurfaces.
"When was the last time I got injured?" he asked.
The answer is as a rookie, although he did suffer a variety of injuries during his junior and senior seasons at Maryland, when he was limited to just 15 games and five starts, severely hindering his stock in the draft.
"This is a contact game and people get hurt, especially at running back," Perry said. "You can't sit here and label somebody for one injury or two injuries. They happen. They happen to the best players in the game."
And Perry really believes he can be one of those top-echelon players, even if he was a seventh-round draft choice who has had to wait his turn.
