Antwine Perez
Encyclopedia
Antwine Perez was an American college football player. He played as a free safety for the University of Maryland Terrapins
. He played one season for the University of Southern California
Trojans, before transferring. He was one of the most sought-after college recruits in the nation and received scholarship offers from over 40 schools.
in Camden, New Jersey
, where he played high school football
as a quarterback
and defensive back
. As a junior, he recorded 1,763 passing yards and 15 touchdown
s, ten rushing touchdowns, 58 tackle
s, seven interceptions, and four forced fumble
s. As a senior in 2005, he recorded 82 tackles, 10 deflections, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
He was named a Parade
All-American, USA Today
first-team All-American, EA Sports
first-team All-American, SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, all-conference quarterback, all-conference defensive back, and first-team all-state player. Perez was honored as The Philadelphia Inquirer
South Jersey Defensive Most Valuable Player
, SuperPrep All-Northeast Defensive MVP, PrepStar All-Eastern, and Gatorade
New Jersey Player of the Year. He was named to the SuperPrep Elite 50, PrepStar Dream Team, and the ESPN
150.
Perez was one of the most highly recruited players in the nation, and received in excess of forty scholarship offers. Scout.com
rated him as a five-star prospect and fifth-ranked defensive back, while Rivals.com
rated him as a four-star prospect and the second-ranked defensive back. At least 47 programs offered Perez, including USC, Florida
, Georgia
, LSU
, Michigan
, Nebraska
, Ohio State
, Oklahoma
, Penn State
, and Tennessee
.
. As a true freshman in 2006
, he saw action in seven games, primarily in a special teams role. Perez made brief appearances as a reserve free safety against Arkansas
, Stanford
, and Oregon
. Perez decided to transfer to the University of Maryland
with the hope of earning more playing time and to be closer to home. He was required by NCAA transfer rules to sit out for one season.
In 2008
, he saw action in all 13 games including two starts as a free safety. He also served in a special teams role and at linebacker due to the injury of Adrian Moten, the back-up for Moise Fokou
. He made his first career start in the upset win against California
, where he replaced injured starter Terrell Skinner and recorded three tackles.
CBS Sports
considers him the eighth-ranked free safety prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft
, while College Football News
projected him as a possible fourth round selection if he had chosen to enter the 2010 NFL Draft
.
During the 2010 season
against Duke
, Perez intercepted one pass and delivered a hard hit to break up another critical pass late in the game, which preserved a Maryland victory, 21–16. At Boston College
, Perez had two interceptions and forced a fumble to help Maryland to a 24–21 win. For his performance, he was named the Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week
.
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. He played one season for the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojans, before transferring. He was one of the most sought-after college recruits in the nation and received scholarship offers from over 40 schools.
Early life
He was born on April 10, 1988 in Westville Grove, New Jersey to parents Phyllis and Lewis Perez. He attended Woodrow Wilson High SchoolWoodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a four-year public high school in Camden, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Camden City Public Schools....
in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, where he played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. As a junior, he recorded 1,763 passing yards and 15 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, ten rushing touchdowns, 58 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s, seven interceptions, and four forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s. As a senior in 2005, he recorded 82 tackles, 10 deflections, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
He was named a Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
first-team All-American, EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
first-team All-American, SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, all-conference quarterback, all-conference defensive back, and first-team all-state player. Perez was honored as The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
South Jersey Defensive Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, SuperPrep All-Northeast Defensive MVP, PrepStar All-Eastern, and Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
New Jersey Player of the Year. He was named to the SuperPrep Elite 50, PrepStar Dream Team, and the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
150.
Perez was one of the most highly recruited players in the nation, and received in excess of forty scholarship offers. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
rated him as a five-star prospect and fifth-ranked defensive back, while Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
rated him as a four-star prospect and the second-ranked defensive back. At least 47 programs offered Perez, including USC, Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
College career
Perez graduated from high school a semester early and enrolled at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. As a true freshman in 2006
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, he saw action in seven games, primarily in a special teams role. Perez made brief appearances as a reserve free safety against Arkansas
2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team completed the season with a 10–4 record. The Razorbacks had a regular season SEC record of 7–1.-Schedule:-USC:...
, Stanford
2006 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2006 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In head coach Walt Harris's second season at Stanford, the Cardinal won only one game, ending the season with a 1–11 record, the school's worst since a winless 1960 season....
, and Oregon
2006 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2006 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in college football's 2006 season. The team was coached by Mike Bellotti and played their home games in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States....
. Perez decided to transfer to the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
with the hope of earning more playing time and to be closer to home. He was required by NCAA transfer rules to sit out for one season.
In 2008
2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
, he saw action in all 13 games including two starts as a free safety. He also served in a special teams role and at linebacker due to the injury of Adrian Moten, the back-up for Moise Fokou
Moise Fokou
Moise Fokou is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was selected by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland and Frostburg State.-Early years:Fokou was born in Cameroon to parents...
. He made his first career start in the upset win against California
2008 California Golden Bears football team
The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford...
, where he replaced injured starter Terrell Skinner and recorded three tackles.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
considers him the eighth-ranked free safety prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, while College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
projected him as a possible fourth round selection if he had chosen to enter the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.
During the 2010 season
2010 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2010 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' 58th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its sixth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division...
against Duke
2010 Duke Blue Devils football team
The 2010 Duke Blue Devils football team represented Duke University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Blue Devils were led by 3rd year head coach David Cutcliffe and played their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium. They are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Coastal...
, Perez intercepted one pass and delivered a hard hit to break up another critical pass late in the game, which preserved a Maryland victory, 21–16. At Boston College
2010 Boston College Eagles football team
The 2010 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles were led by second year head coach Frank Spaziani and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Atlantic...
, Perez had two interceptions and forced a fumble to help Maryland to a 24–21 win. For his performance, he was named the Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
.