Mississippi OL likes Rebs, SEC

Junior to Watch: Houston Perry

School: Corinth, Miss.

Position: Offensive Guard

Size and speed: Perry is 6-foot-3, weighs 266 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds. He bench presses 350 pounds and squats 505.

Statistics: As a junior, he graded out close to 90 percent on the season.

Honors: Was selected all-area and chosen as part of the Super 22. He earned all-state honors as a sophomore.

Favorite Schools: Ole Miss, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn.

Skinny: Those who saw Houston Perry as a sophomore may not have recognized him as a junior.

The Corinth, Miss., offensive linemen has undergone a remarkable physical transformation the last two years and is trying to place himself in a position to be one of the state’s top line prospects for 2004.

“I weighed 315 pounds as a sophomore,” Perry said. “I was all-state that year, but I think I just go that because I was so big… really just fat. I was 300 pounds of nothing.”

Preparing for his senior year, he is now 266 pounds of muscle. But he had to drop all the way down to 220 before making the climb back up.

“I went on this big fitness plan and lost all that bad weight,” he said. “But I’ve been working hard to put weight back on now, the good weight, muscle. I’ve been doing this high-protein, high-carb, low-sugar diet. And I lift a lot more now than I ever did. I’m not going to work this summer. I’m just going to lift weights.”

Perry describes himself as an aggressive player who loves the power game.

“I love to run block,” he said. “I like coming off the ball and pushing people back. I’m OK in pass protection. I’m working to get better there. I like to play guard a lot more, but my team needs me to play tackle.”

Perry has received early interest from a handful of schools, including Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Southern Miss and Duke.

“I’ve been going to Ole Miss games since I was in a stroller,” he said. “They’re my favorite team by far. I’d love to play there if I get that opportunity. That’s what I’m working toward.

"I've always followed SEC football and would love to play somewhere in the conference, even if it wasn't Ole Miss."

Perry attended the Rebels’ junior day. He plans to camp in Oxford this summer. He will also attend the Nike combine at Auburn.