Perrine’s injury woes behind him

Nxt LVL ChapmanFormer Newport Harbor standout has recovered from his third ACL tear and is putting up sizable numbers for Chapman.In the 1970s , actor Lee Majors starred as a bionic superhero in “The Six Million Dollar Man.” If a remake was ever madeGreg Perrine could probably play Majors’ part to a tee.

Perrine, a former Newport Harbor High two-sport star now playing basketball at Chapman University, has fully recovered from a third torn anterior cruciate ligament. Chapman is off to a 7-0 start and Perrine is among the Panthers’ scoring leaders. The 6-foot-1 senior guard was averaging 11.4 points through five games.

During his prep career, he starred in both basketball and volleyball. He was an All-CIF Southern Section performer in both sports and was the Sea View League Male Athlete of the Year, and the Newport-Mesa Boys Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2001-02.

Perrine was a three-year varsity starter in basketball. He also led the volleyball team to a CIF Southern Section Division I championship as a senior.

But it wasn’t all victories and awards for Perrine, who tore his ACL in a basketball game in July, 2001, the summer before his senior season.

He went through a strenuous rehabilitation and was able to suit up his senior season for the Tars.

Simply coming back was stunning. But how he played was even more amazing. He averaged 10.2 points per game, helping the Sailors advance to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA playoffs and finish 20-7.

In his first season at Chapman, he started 24 of 25 games. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds and led the team in assists (86) and steals (27). He also shot 53.7% from the field to help the Panthers finish 18-7.

Perrine was sidelined his sophomore and junior seasons when first he tore the same ACL he did at Newport Harbor, then tore the other ACL the following year.

Still, he refused to give up on his basketball career.

“It feels great to be back out there,” Perrine said before Saturday’s contest against Cal State East Bay.

“It has been worth all the hard work and rehab. It’s definitely exciting.”

Perrine is proud of his recovery, but is not above laughing about his injuries.

“The guys on the team give me a hard time about the two ice bags on my knees after games, but it’s all in good fun,” he said.

Although he could petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt for either of the two seasons he sat out with injuries, Perrine -- on schedule to get his degree in finance in the spring -- said he is content to call it a career after this season.

“I don’t know if these old knees could handle another year,” Perrine said.

Perrine also said two years on the sideline changed the way he plays the game.