In Saturday's season opener, freshman safety Alex Perry came out of nowhere to emerge as a key member of the Jumbos' defense, and was rewarded with a NESCAC Rookie of the Week nod in his first collegiate game.
Perry, who didn't even expect to play in the Jumbos' season opener with the Hamilton Continentals, got his big break in the second quarter, when senior safety Bryan McDavitt was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury.
In McDavitt's place, Perry stepped in, and immediately made his presence known. The 5'10", 190-pound rookie recorded his first tackle on just his third down on the field, bringing down junior receiver Joe Rinaldo after a two-yard gain. Two plays later, he ended the Hamilton drive by sacking sophomore quarterback Ben Saccomano.
Perry would record a total of five tackles in the game, but his biggest play of the day was yet to come. In the fourth quarter, with six minutes left in the game and Hamilton threatening to get on the board, Saccomano went long, looking to find Rinaldo open for a big gain that would put the Continentals in Tufts territory. Perry made the interception, the Jumbos' fourth of the game, at the Tufts 31 yard line, and returned it 11 yards, keeping the Jumbo shutout intact.
With McDavitt's status still unknown for the time being, it remains to be seen how big a role Perry will play in the Jumbos' defense this season. But after Saturday's performance, it's fairly clear that coach Bill Samko has a reliable new addition to his secondary.
Perry was not the only Jumbo freshman to make a contribution in his collegiate debut. Tufts first-year kicker Oliver Snider kicked extra points following Tufts touchdowns in the first and fourth quarters, and he converted on his first and only field goal attempt to date, a 23-yard kick in the second quarter. On the other end of the kicking game, freshman Oliver Gray took over the punting duties after McDavitt, the team's regular punter, went down.
Tufts continues its season on Saturday afternoon in the Homecoming Game against Bates. The Bobcats fell to Amherst, 31-6, in their season-opener last Saturday.
--Evans Clinchy
