Maryland running back Bruce Perry is number one, both literally and figuratively. Sporting a number one on his jersey, Perry leads the nation in rushing with an average of 169.5 yards per game.
At the start of the season, Perry battled with Marc Riley and Jason Crawford for the job of replacing departed All-American LaMont Jordan, Maryland's all-time rushing leader. The redshirt sophomore separated himself in spring practice and solidified his starting position after an impressive opening game in the Maryland football team's 23-7 victory over North Carolina on Sept. 1. Perry ran for 116 yards on 21 carries against the Tar Heels.
Perry continued to build on his early success with a 133-yard outing against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 8 and a 276-yard performance versus Wake Forest on Sept. 22. His 276 rushing yards against the Demon Deacons ranked second in school history and earned Perry ACC player of the week honors.
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Last week, Perry had another solid game against a prepared West Virginia defense. He carried the ball 31 times for 153 yards to lead the Terrapins to a 4-0 record, 2-0 in the ACC..
"He even got better last week," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "He had 157 yards when people were geared to stop him. He's having a phenomenal year. He's doing everything a running back can do."
But Perry's surprising dominance on the field has been anything but easy. The 5-foot-9 Perry, a former Philadelphia player of the year in high school, has always been doubted by critics who say he's too short.
"I still hear, 'too small,'" he said. "Not that much anymore, but it's always there. I don't mind. I just go out and play football. That's what I do."
The quick and explosive Terrapins' tailback has modeled his style after former Florida State running back Warrick Dunn, who was also small in stature. With his breakaway capability, Perry always promises the threat of a long, game-breaking run.
"He's really turned into an exceptional back," Friedgen said. "He gives us a guy who can hit a home run at any time."
Perry has the unique ability to use his speed for long runs and his strength and determination to ground out tough, short-yardage carries.
"I particularly like the way he's finishing runs off," Friedgen said. "He's not just letting people drag him down. You never see him getting knocked backwards. He fights for every yard he gets."
Although Perry leads the nation in rushing, the young emerging star has not been fazed by the newfound attention and still concentrates on the larger team goals.
"I try not to think about things like that," he said. "I just try to be consistent, go out and play every down. I try to stay away from thinking about individual things and focus on winning as a team."
Perry has been able to help his team the best by putting the ball in the end zone. His six touchdown carries ranks fifth in the country.
Although Perry's coaches claim that his success should come as no big surprise, Perry is not going to take his early season accomplishments for granted.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen," he said. "But I'm grateful for the things that have happened to me. I'm happy to be surrounded by great players and a great coaching staff. That's the reason I'm successful right now"
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