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black Sports Review OCTOBER 1 993 EDITOR A PUBLISHER Ernest H. Pitt PRODUCTION Scarlett Simmons Kathy Ln Karen llannon Doug RiU STAFF WRITERS l.ingston Worlz. Jr Derncfc M^hor*> Jamm WripJH Jr Mailt Oray PHOTOGRAPHERS Wade Nash i Dnnmte Mirtiom NoThiNq LeFt to Prove They say he's coming hack, lhal he'll lake a year off and gel away from ihc limelight. Ihc allegations and ihe mefiia.They say. in Ihc end. that Michael Jordan won't he *"5me to live without basketball.' ' x This is hogwash. "I am very solid with my decision not to play any more basketball in Ihe NBA." Jordan said in a news conference to announce his retirement on Oct. 6. "I have always stressed lhal when I lose Ihe senw of motivation and Ihe sense to prove something as a basketball player, it's lime to leave." There is nothing left for Michael Jordan to prove. He's done Ihc things he said he always wantcdlo do. He's left his mark on Ihe game. He's been Ihe league's Mos| Valuable Player. He's won seven straight scoring championships ? - something only Will Chamberlain was able to do. And most important. Jordan won Ihe ring. In fact, he won three of them. Magic could not do it. Bird could not do it. If you. want to measure a player's ultimate worth by the hardware he has won, Jordan's three straight champi onships mean more than Bird's and Magic's combined total of eight. But Bird played wilh Robert Parish and Kevin McHalc and Bill Walton and Dennis Johnson. Magic played with Kareem Abdul Jahhar and James Worthy. These players are sure to go to Ihc Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan played with Bill Cartwnght and Scottie Pip pen and Horace Grant. These are serviceable pro ball play ers, but they arc certainly not Hall of Famers. Jordan plays in the NBA's greatest era of talent. Every night, there's another super, superstar to deal with. And Jor dan elevated an otherwise normal team to three straight titles. So what's that make Jordan? (And if you think the Bulls really are a great team, check the record this year , without MJ)r "I have reached the pinnacle of my career," Jordan said. "I have achieved a lot in my short career. I just feel 1 don't have anything else to prove." There is not. So now, Jordan will go and cut his own grass, watch his chil dren grow and spend more time with his family. His father, James Jordan, was shot and is no longer with him. Jordan looks on it positively, saying thaLhe's happy that his father saw his last game. If you want to be like Mike now, you'd better get a big couch and a glass of soda. Or a pair of golf clubs. We fciH see no more of Michael Jordan wearing a Chicago Bulls blood red uniform, jumping past one player and over anoth er, scoring an awe-inspiring, seemingly impossible two points. Jordan, though, says this is something he's thought about for a long time. He's watched other athletes go on for too long ? Ali, Erving, Mays. He wants to be remembered in his prime. And what's wrong with thai? ? Langston Wertz Jr. Black College Sports Review is published by Black Sports Inc.. 617 N Liberty St.. Winston Salem. N C 27101 Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned Inquiries should be addressed to Ernest H Pitt, Publisher, Black College Sports Review. P O Bo* 1636 Winston Salem N C 27 102 COVER PHOTO Mark Gail BCSR is a supplement to these newspapers Atlanta Voice. The Bulletin. Ban/more Afro American. Baton Rouge Community Leader, Birmingham Times. Carolina Peace maker. Carolina Times. Charleston Chronicle. Charlotte Post. Iredell County News. Philadelphia Tribune. Pittsburgh Courier. Richmond Afro American. Washington Afro American and the Winston Salem Chronicle ' 'Jackson Stale #50 Mario Perry lackles Alcorn Slate's Harry Itnmn. JSU CoAch Raves Abotrr LiNtbAckER Jackson Slalc coach James Car son describes linebacker Mario Perry as one of those players that h;is the three main ingredients it takes to make it in college football. "He has the heart and the desire and especially the talent," Carson said. "I've been here 16 years, and Mario is one of the top linebackers to come through here."., J Carson, who was defensive coordinator for 15 years prior to ' becoming the head coach last year, said Ferry's ability is in the cat with Larry Werts, Jackie Walker and Dar ; ion Conner. "He stacks up with any of the good players that have gone through here," Carson said. "He has no glar ing weaknesses He just needs to j keep improving." Perry, a 6-foot-4, 247-pound I senior, said he isn't paying much ; attention to the talk about playing pro football. i ' "Personally, I have to overlook those things," Perry said. "That is not on my mind. The thing I'm con cerned about is getting our team ready to play." With the return of 10 starters from last year's defense, JSU is expected to contend for the South western Athletic Conference cham pionship. Perry, who was an all-confer cnce selection last year, is the pre season pick for defensive player of the yea honors. Last year he led the league with 108 tackles, including 66 unassisted tackles. He was second to teammate Fernando Smith with eight sacks. Perry had, 16 tackles for losses. "He is mean and aggressive ?>n the field," senior linebacker l;crnan ilo livens said. "Off the field he is a momma's hoy." Said linebacker Vingi Johnson. Perry's roommate: "Mar jo is very important to this football team, lie rcspects the other people on his team and is a very easy-i?oitm person off the field. On the .field he is very business-like. He goes about his business and gets the job done." Perry entered the season as one of 48 finalists for the Hutkus Award, which is given annually to the top linebacker in the country. He is the only player from a historically black college and I- A A school to make the list. Perry, a fullback and linebacker at Scott Central High, came to JSU after stellar high school career. He turned down scholarships to several Div. I schools including Southern Miss, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Alabama and Tennessee to play at JSU. After making 69 tackles, four pass break-ups and one sack as a freshman in 1 990, Perry was named SWAC Freshman of the Year. He had 15 tackles in a 28-7 Div. I- A A playoff loss against Middle Ten nessee State as a freshman. ? Perry's father, Jordan Perry, was a former high school coach. "It gives him an insight into the sport," said Bill Scott, Perry's for mer high school coach. "His dad never pushed him, but he'd give him cncouragcment. He picked things up easily. Mario did a g(x>d job no mat ter where we had him playing." Carson agreed that growing up around loot h;il I was ;i hig help Id IVrry. "Ho was able to pick up on ilu lilllc things of the game," Carson said, "lie has good tcchnii|uc. ami thai has I ?? hi? credited to being around football all his life." IVrry's lather retired he I ore get ling a chance to coach him. Jordan IVrry was a former ltxrt hall player at JSU in the late I *>S< )s. lie was a big reason Mario decided to come to JSU. "There was no questions' where Mario was going to school." Scott said. "Both his parents went there, and they were big tans of JSU foot ball." Tragedy came for Perry in I I when his father died of eompfteit tions from a kidney problem. The elder Perry died just before the Tigers played at Texas Southern. Perry played in the game an flew back home the next day to attend the funeral. "My father instilled in mc a lot of good things," Perry said. "As for mc, my father helped prepare me for his death. He was sick for a long time, and he would tell me, 'Mario, it won't be long before I pass.' Me knew his lifespan wasn't going to be long. I thank him a lot for preparing me. "When things get hard anil I need that extra push, I always 'h;nk of him. fie was a man who became very knowledgeable in the Bible. He shared with me a lot of his knowl edge. especially about life." Perry, who runs a 4.7 in the 40 Please see page 4
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