THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 24, 1996 TAG: 9607240588
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FROSTBURG, MD. LENGTH: 75 lines
Last week, a newspaper guy who probably should have known better saw Pittsburgh Steelers safety Darren Perry walking across a parking lot at St. Vincent College and asked a bystander who he was.
``Does he play?'' he asked after hearing the name.
Told Perry not only plays, but is a starter, the man shook his head. He'd never heard of him.
Perry didn't laugh when that story was repeated to him Tuesday following a practice session between the Washington Redskins and the Steelers - he threw back his head and howled.
``We've got a lot of guys on this defense who draw attention to themselves,'' the former Deep Creek High School star said.
He didn't elaborate, and he didn't have to. Greg Lloyd. Rod Woodson. Last season, since-departed Kevin Greene.
``I'm not like that,'' Perry said. ``But I think people who understand the game and have an appreciation for tough football know me.''
Steelers head coach Bill Cowher certainly does. He's penciled in Perry's name as starting safety on one of football's best defenses for a fifth consecutive year. He calls Perry ``the old guy.''
Another one of the old guys, cornerback Woodson, returns from a knee injury. Perry hopes Woodson's return will enable him to return to the free-wheeling style that results in big plays and interceptions.
``Hopefully, the coaches are going to let me loose,'' he said. ``We need to get back to that aggressive style of play. When we lost Rod, we, all of us, got tentative. He does so many things for us that I think we tended to pull things in, be more conservative, than we had been.''
One reason Perry wants to create more turnovers is his Intercept-for-Care program. For every interception he makes, Perry donates $500 to Chesapeake Care, which offers free medical care for residents of that city who can't afford it.
Perry has received pledges from Woodson and safety Carnell Lake, though ``Lake doesn't get many interceptions. Even he admitted that. We may do something with him where he pledges for fumbles or tackles or something like that. On the other hand, I'm going for 10 interceptions.''
Last season, the Steelers were practically conceded the AFC championship and Super Bowl berth. That their position in Super Bowl XXX wasn't secure until the final play of the title game against unheralded Indianapolis, Perry says, taught his team a lesson.
``We believed what everybody else assumed, that we were going to be AFC champs,'' he said. ``The biggest thing we learned about that was that you can't read and believe your press clippings.''
This season, there are questions about the Steelers. Quarterback Neil O'Donnell is gone. So is Greene. Running back Bam Morris got mixed up with drugs and was released. Jerome Bettis, often unhappy in Los Angeles and St. Louis, replaces him.
``It is a lot to lose,'' Perry admits. ``But I think all of us are used to this free-agency thing and know how to deal with it. I think the organization did a great job keeping the nucleus together. There's enough of a nucleus here for us to have a big say in who's champion of the NFL.''
NOTES: Redskins receiver Tydus Winans suffered a sprained shoulder diving for a pass in the end zone early in Tuesday's workout. He left the training complex with an ice pack wrapped tightly around his shoulder, which will get an examination from Dr. Gordon Avery at Redskin Park today. . . . Receiver Michael Westbrook (sprained lower back) and running back Stephen Davis (sprained left MCL) were held out of the workout. Davis will get a crack at running this morning before a decision is made on his availability for the three days of practice with the Dolphins. . . . Quarterbacks Gus Frerotte and Heath Shuler had almost identical stats Tuesday. Frerotte was 11-for-12 in seven-on-seven work; Shuler was 7-of-11, with a touchdown pass to tight end Scott Galbraith. In 11-on-11, Frerotte was 3-of-4 passes, Shuler was 3-of-4 with a sack and a scramble. There was no tackling, so yardage was irrelevant. There's no injury, but he's had problems there before and the Redskins also want to see as much as possible of Cory Raymer. . . . Rookie defensive end Kelvin Kinney had a couple of sacks. . . . Dexter Nottage, who's out for a week with a sprained knee, left for Washington to be with his wife, who was having a minor complication with her pregnancy. by CNB