A Chance to Shine for Sophomore Perry

Tab Perry’s initiation to college football came a year ago against Alabama. A freshman playing in his first game, he took a kickoff and got tripped up after gaining only 13 yards.

The second one was better. Perry made two tacklers miss and gained 25 yards. In the second half, he had a third return, of 18 yards.

Nothing spectacular, still a thrill.

“That was OK, a good first memory,� he said.

Perry could have a greater impact Saturday. In addition to returning kicks, he will be the starting flanker, replacing Freddie Mitchell, an All-American who had 77 catches for 1,494 yards last season.

Perry has no illusions of equaling Mitchell’s production, at least not right away. Split end Brian Poli-Dixon will be the main target.

“I am another option for [quarterback] Cory Paus,� he said. “We have a lot of weapons. I just want to contribute.�

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Few would have blamed Alabama’s Freddie Milons had he struck a Heisman pose on reaching the end zone after taking a punt 71 yards for a touchdown early in last year’s game against UCLA.

Few would have blamed him for curling into the fetal position after the season.

Milons, a jitterbug receiver and return man, went into the season a candidate for all kinds of awards. But he never adjusted to Mike Dubose’s conservative offense and caught only 32 passes for a paltry 277 yards.

Now he looks back wondering where the season went.

“It was a blow to us,� he said. “It was a blow mentally and physically, because what we’d prepared to do we really didn’t get an opportunity to show.�

There weren’t many happy returns for Milons, either. After opening Alabama’s scoring against UCLA, he had only 44 more yards on punt returns all season.

It’s as if he disappeared.

Milons, a senior, expects new Coach Dennis Franchione to get the ball in his hands. As he did in 1999, when he set a school record with 65 receptions.

“I think the coach recognized that the wide receiving corps is still the most consistent bunch and full of playmakers,� he said.

An NCAA investigation into recruiting violations at Alabama before Franchione became coach has become a distraction in the Crimson Tide’s preparation for UCLA.

A federal grand jury indicted high school coaches Lynn Lang and Milton Kirk on conspiracy, bribery and extortion charges and warrants were issued for their arrests. Alabama booster and Memphis businessman Logan Young has admitted paying them $200,000 for the services of defensive lineman Albert Means in 1999 and 2000.

The FBI and the Southeastern Conference also are investigating the recruiting allegations.

The NCAA is expected to send Alabama a letter detailing the alleged violations as early as next week.