SDSU FOOTBALL: Perez at home on the base

By SCOTT BAIR Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 6, 2008 11:01 PM PDT ∞

While most of the Aztec football team felt a little out of place on Camp Pendleton this week, wide receiver Jose Perez felt right at home. Photo by Robert Benson -- For the North County Times

CAMP PENDLETON ---- San Diego State's football team started fall camp in foreign territory. The Aztecs spent four days, three nights and two practices in sections of Camp Pendleton that most people without a service record don't know exist.

While most were eager to trade the military lifestyle for the relative luxuries of a college dorm room, Jose Perez felt right at home away from home.

The sophomore cornerback from Oceanside High spent countless hours on base with his father Jose Perez, Sr., whenever he was in town. The elder Perez was a gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps who spent significant time overseas and is a veteran of the Gulf War. His son was a driven individual with formidable athletic gifts, who eventually became one of the finest prep football players in North County history.

Before his legendary athletic exploits at Oceanside, Perez was a scrawny little kid following in his father's footsteps. He's been to the mess hall and the commissary. He played on his father's on-base intramural softball team. He's even been out near the Quonset huts where SDSU has bunked since Monday, because his dad was also stationed out there for a time.

"I've been affiliated with Camp Pendleton all my life," Perez said. "I only lived 10 minutes away and my dad was always on base, so this place became a second home to me. It's great to come back to a place I grew up around as a member of a college football team. It really means a lot."

Perez has come full circle, after an eventful interim that sent him across the country and back. Perez was a baseball and football star with the Pirates, and earned a scholarship to SDSU with the opportunity to play both sports. The Aztecs, however, weren't the only ones interested in Perez.

The New York Yankees used a seventh-round pick on the left-handed outfielder and enticed him into pro ball with a signing bonus. He spent three seasons in the minors, playing everywhere from Florida's Gulf Coast to New York's Staten Island. But his progress grew stagnant and Perez left the game he loved.

"Jose didn't want to show it, but it was a tough time for him," Jose Perez, Sr. said. "He wouldn't talk about it much, but when he watched a game on TV or looked through the box scores, you could tell he missed it."

Perez's athletic career was far from over. He formally joined the Aztecs as a wide receiver in 2006 and began playing football for the first time since high school.

"The transition was pretty slow," Perez said. "I had to get my weight back up and relearn the game a little bit. It took a while, but it's becoming second nature. I'm starting to grasp the system."

He quickly had to grasp SDSU's defensive scheme early in 2007, when he was moved to cornerback just a few hours before spring practice began. Perez took the change in stride and has put his efforts into ascending the depth chart, where he currently sits behind starter Vonnie Holmes.

"His progress has been really steady and now I think he's ready," Aztecs defensive coordinator Bob Elliott said. "He's going to push for some playing time this season. There's no doubt about that. If he comes through, he'll get a chance to play."

Perez's father is enjoying every moment of his son's playing career. He values each game he can watch in person, especially after missing so many on the frequent six-month deployments common to an infantryman.

"It was unbearably difficult," said Jose Perez Sr., who retired from the military in 2003 and is now a member of the Oceanside Police Department. "Jose was my only son and I missed so much because I was either stationed on the base or was on deployment. If my math is right, I missed four years of his life. That's why I enjoy every second I get now."

It was a tough thing for the younger Perez, who watched his father go off and defend the country several times, including in the Gulf War.

"That time I was pretty young," Perez said. "I remember him leaving, but I didn' t know much more than that. It was disappointing, but my dad was always going overseas. My mom kept me going though. She always kept me involved in sports and went to a ton of my games.

"After he retired, my dad started coming to a lot more. Both of my parents have always been supportive of everything I've done. I can't ever thank them enough for that."

Aztecs notes

TE Eric Miclot (Vista High) participated in his first practice in over two years on Wednesday. "I was a little nervous, but it was great to get back out there," said Miclot, who missed significant time with a knee injury. "Everything went well and physically I feel fine." �-DL Jonathan Soto missed practice with strep throat. ... DL Nick Spencer also missed time with a shoulder ailment. He'll be evaluated on Thursday. ... Freshman WR Malcolm Culver will not join the team after signing a contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.