Receiver Perry Out of School

The beleaguered UCLA football program suffered another blow Thursday when it was announced that wide receiver Tab Perry will not return next season.

Perry, who averaged 18.4 yards on 62 receptions in three seasons, did not play in 2003 because of academic difficulties. He was expected to be back in 2004 but did not make sufficient academic progress in the fall and was dismissed from the university.

According to a release, Perry has indicated he will enroll at a Division I-AA school. He would have no eligibility remaining at a Division I school because next season will be his fifth since enrolling at UCLA.

“We were hopeful that Tab would be able to rejoin the team for the 2004 season, but that didn’t work out,” Coach Karl Dorrell said. “We will do what we can to help place him at a Division I-AA school and we wish him the best of luck.”

Perry was expected to start opposite senior Craig Bragg next season, giving UCLA two proven receivers. Perry also was a dangerous kick returner, ranking No. 2 on the all-time UCLA list with 56 returns and 1,262 yards.

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Senior defensive end Dave Ball, who tied for the national lead with a school-record 16 1/2 sacks, is the winner of the Pop Warner Award, presented annually to the top senior on the West Coast.

Ball, a consensus All-American, is the seventh UCLA player to win the award, joining Cade McNown (1998), Skip Hicks (1997), Jerry Robinson (1978), Gary Beban (1967), Bill Kilmer (1960) and Bob Davenport (1955).

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Linebacker Brandon Chillar and defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday at SBC Park in San Francisco. Chillar led the Pacific 10 Conference with 133 tackles. Boschetti had 43 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.... Receiver Jacques Lazarus, a redshirt sophomore who played sparingly on special teams, has left the team.