THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501140309
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 113 lines
Darren Perry, Bruce Smith and Keith Goganious, AFC brethern and citizens of Hampton Roads, collided by chance last July. It was a few days before Perry headed for Latrobe, Pa., summer home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a few days before Smith and Goganious renewed acquaintances with Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy.
``Won't see you until February,'' Smith told Perry as the conversation ended.
``Won't see you until February,'' Perry said, turning to Goganious, a fellow Penn Stater.
``Won't see you until February,'' Goganious fired back at him, then smiled.
In the Macho-Speak of the NFL, ``Won't see you until February'' is the ultimate boast, the biggest woof of all. It translates to, ``My team is going to the Super Bowl. Yours isn't. We have a shot at the big ring. You'll be here, watching us on TV. Gotta run. My best to your family.''
July has blazed into January. Perry, a former Deep Creek High School standout, is the only one of the three with the right to talk football and February in the same sentence.
He will start at free safety for the Steelers Sunday when they host the San Diego Chargers in their first AFC championship game in 10 years, the first at Three Rivers Stadium since 1979.
The winner (the Steelers are favored by 9 1/2 points) gets either San Francisco or Dallas and a shot at ending 10 years of NFC domination in Super Bowl XXIX on Jan. 29.
For Perry, two victories this first month of '95 would cap what has already been three dream seasons in the NFL.
Although he was not voted to the Pro Bowl by his peers in the AFC, Perry solidified his status as a coming force in the league.
``That Perry, he'll knock your block off,'' LA Raiders Art Shell said the week before his team and Perry's met late in the season. ``You gotta watch him.''
His seven interceptions tied for third-best in the NFL and paced a team that led the league in turnover ratio at plus-14. Three interceptions came in a Week 2 victory over archrival Cleveland that started the Steelers on the road to the AFC Central title.
Last week, Perry's one-hand, over-the-shoulder pickoff in the end zone helped solidify the Steelers' 29-9 playoff victory over the Browns.
The 5-11, 194-pound Perry finished the regular season with 65 tackles, not bad for a team talent-rich along the defensive line and at linebacker.
Perhaps most importantly, he called signals for a defense that completed the regular season ranked second in the league, a scant 13 yards behind No. 1 Dallas. It was Perry who was responsible for changing defensive schemes at the last instant, analyzing the offensive formation and processing the play to come.
Pittsburgh was the league's second-stingiest defense in points-allowed, first downs, average gain per play and opponents' third-down efficiency.
It was the Steelers' best defensive performance since 1990 and among its finest in the last two decades.
``I'm not surprised,'' says Greg Schiano, for two years Perry's secondary coach at Penn State. ``I remember filling out letters for the NFL on Darren. I wrote that he had an uncanny ability to be where the ball is. Call it instinct, whatever. I knew he wouldn't be the fastest, or the strongest player coming into the draft. But, I wrote, he will make plays.''
The Steelers heard Schiano, to a point. Even though Perry was a Football Writers All-American and finished as Penn State's second leading all-time interceptor, he wasn't drafted in 1992 until the eighth round, the 203rd selection.
``I knew he wouldn't be drafted high because of his tests,'' Schiano said. ``The NFL puts so much reliance on those, and I understand. They're about to put out a lot of money for somebody.
``But there aren't many guys like him. He's special.''
It wasn't the first time the tape measure had worked against Perry. Even though he threw 23 touchdown passes, gained 2,790 yards in the air and rushed for another 14 touchdowns and 1,167 yards during three years as Deep Creek quarterback, Penn State was luke-warm about his prospects behind center.
``They told me if I wanted it, they'd allow me to try out,'' Perry recalls. ``But they also said there weren't many 5-foot-11 quarterbacks playing in the NFL and I had to admit they had a point there.''
So Perry opted for the defensive secondary, first at cornerback, then safety.
Although Perry wasn't thrilled at having been drafted by the Steelers (he was a Dallas fan), Schiano assured him things would work out.
Starting free safety Thomas Everett was bickering with Steelers management over his contract. Soon, Pittsburgh traded him to Dallas.
That left only a young veteran named Gary Jones for Perry to beat out. Jones tore knee ligaments during the first week of training camp. Instead of bringing in a veteran replacement, the Steelers handed the starting job to their rookie draft pick.
He hasn't been out of the lineup since.
``To this day, I still can't believe they gave that much responsibility to a rookie,'' Perry marvels. ``I called defensive signals, amazing. As a college player, you just don't see that many offensive formations.''
When that first season was done, Perry had six interceptions, the first Steelers rookie to lead the team in 37 seasons. By unanimous vote, Perry was chosen Steelers rookie of the year by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association.
What Perry wants to learn most at this stage of his career is whether he and the Steelers can as good as NFC goliath Dallas. Pittsburgh had its chance on opening day this season, but was throttled, 26-9. The Cowboys maneuvered up and down the field at will, amassing 442 total yards.
``We got too caught up in playing the DALLAS COWBOYS,'' Perry remembers. ``We didn't play with any consistency, like maybe we doubted ourselves and our abilities. There was no sense of urgency. No poise. Next thing we know, we're down 20-something to whatever.
``Even though it was the start of this season, it was a long time ago. I'd like another shot at them. I'd like to prove that we're better.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color file photo
by CNB