It’s in His Hands Now : Perryman Dropped Ball at USC but Has Wised Up at Valley

Every time he steps on the football field, Willie Perryman knows he goofed.

Spend a few minutes with him and he tells you, in a soft voice that can’t conceal his hurt, how he messed up.

He speaks almost apologetically, with a touch of embarrassment, about wasting a scholarship to USC out of Burbank High because he didn’t take schoolwork seriously.

He talks about trying to regroup academically at Valley College and about making it back to Division I, this time to stick. After that, he has the NFL in mind.

And the more he says the more you believe him.

“I feel I’ve matured,” Perryman said. “I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Perryman, 6 feet 4 and 250 pounds, doesn’t make many blunders when playing tight end for the Monarchs. He is a bruising blocker with excellent hands who was picked as a preseason junior college All-American by a national publication.

Last season, he was used primarily as a blocker to help clear the way for tailback Marcus Harvey and finished with only 13 receptions for 115 yards. Still, he was unanimously selected to the All-Western State Conference Southern Division team.

This year, the Monarchs are putting more plays into the offense for Perryman, an added dimension that will make Valley’s potent run-and-shoot attack even harder to contain. With his size and 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash, Perryman gives defensive coordinators one more wrinkle to worry about.

“He’s one of the most physical people I’ve ever seen,” said Tim Adams, the tight ends coach at Valley. “You watch him on film and you see he has the ability to dominate a game. He’ll be playing on Sundays.”

For now, though, Perryman is limited to Saturdays in the junior college ranks. Despite the what-ifs and could-have-beens, Perryman doesn’t feel his time with the Monarchs is purgatory. After all, Valley is one of the finest programs in the nation, going 10-1 in each of the past two seasons.

The Monarchs missed claiming the mythical national championship last season by one game, a 59-49 loss to Long Beach City in the Strawberry Bowl in Cerritos. Long Beach is ranked No. 1 in the state’s preseason poll, Valley fourth.

“It was a great experience for me to win and be a part of winning [last season},” Perryman said. “I was disappointed not to be more a part of the offense but I enjoyed blocking for Marcus because he’s my best friend. I know this year I’ll get more throws.”

Perryman still will have to block for Harvey, who returns after rushing for 1,096 yards last season. But he prefers the approach of new quarterback David Lins, the understudy last year to Aaron Flowers, now at Cal State Northridge.

“Lins is out to find the open receiver and not just who he likes,” Perryman said.

Two years ago, the only throws Perryman saw came from opposing quarterbacks. He was recruited by the Trojans as an outside linebacker and spent the 1994 season as a redshirt, working with the scout squad.

Working on academics, however, was another story.

“I wasn’t ready for it and I didn’t take it seriously,” Perryman said. “I would go home [to Burbank] on weekends and not study. . . . I’m pretty sure I would have had a chance to play last year [at USC].”

Instead, Perryman left the school without even telling Coach John Robinson or his staff.

“I didn’t really want to look at the coaches in the eye,” Perryman said. “I made a promise to Coach Robinson that I would do better in my second semester. I will never forgive myself for letting them down.”

Perryman then enrolled at Valley and found a home--in more ways than one.

“I had heard that [the Monarchs] didn’t have an established tight end,” Perryman said. “Coach [Jim] Fenwick said I would go both ways but I never really got over to practice with the defense.

“Everything seems kind of natural for me at tight end. . . . A lot of people don’t like to play tight end because they don’t think it’s glamorous enough, but I love it. I don’t think anything is going to drop out of my hands.”

Especially not another opportunity to play big-time football.

* A look at local JC football teams. C8

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Valley tailback Marcus Harvey, who last year rushed for 1,096 yards and 17 touchdowns, is a crafty ballcarrier who will challenge for the WSC rushing title. Moorpark’s defense again is solid, led by linemen Walter Glover (6 feet 4, 270 pounds) and Brady Willmon (6-4, 215), and cornerback Kerry Miller. Sophomore Taj Lewis (1,090 yards passing, 203 yards rushing) gives the Raiders versatility at quarterback. Glendale quarterback Aryn Hart returns after passing for 1,705 yards last season, seventh on the school’s all-time single-season list. Running back Ramone Archie (894 yards rushing) complements Hart in the backfield. Pierce All-WSC wide receiver Jermaine Brooks (48 receptions, 755 yards, seven touchdowns) is always a threat. Ventura’s Elihu Vann (1,120 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns) might be the most gifted running back in the conference.

* THE PROMISING: Quarterback David Lins passed for 314 yards and four touchdowns as the main understudy at Valley to Aaron Flowers last season. Moorpark wide receiver Leodes Van Buren set state high school records with 269 receptions and 4,446 yards in his career at Newbury Park. Van Buren hasn’t played since his senior season in 1993 and has been in and out of jail the past three years for various offenses. Glendale inside linebacker Jin Hur is a hard-hitting freshman from Hoover High. Ventura wide receiver Donell Wickett had 40 receptions for 876 yards at Ventura High last year.

* FAST FACT: Moorpark, Valley and Ventura do not play nonconference games this season.