Thursday September 6, 2001

Perry gets a birthday present

Sophomore defensive back and special teams player Danny Perry received some bad news when he found out the date he was scheduled to have knee surgery.

"I found out it was on my birthday," Perry said.

Perry, who will turn 20, is going under the knife later today.

The former Sabino High standout was inactive for the UA victory over San Diego State.

He was expected to compete for a role in the secondary this year but has missed considerable action due to the knee.

UA head coach John Mackovic decided to give the players a break during practice last night by allowing them to take off their pads during a hot night.

"It has been over 100 degrees all week," Mackovic said. "We want to keep our guys as fresh as possible."

Arizona took extra precautions today during the two-hour practice. Players were given extra time to get water and longer breaks in between drills.

"We still want our guys to work hard," Mackovic said. "(But) we decided that we could go with just shoulder pads and helmets only. Our guys ran a lot today."

Senior defensive back Eli Wnek will have his cast removed today from his ankle and replaced with a boot.

Wnek, who fractured his ankle in summer drills, will still not be able to run for another three weeks.

"Hopefully, Eli will be back in mid-October, if not earlier," Mackovic said. "More likely, it will be in mid-October. He won't be able to run at all because with that kind of injury, you just need to stay off of it."

Senior wide receiver Malosi Leonard sprained his ankle in yesterday's practice and will be evaluated today.

The news regarding senior defensive end Austin Uku is still the same as it has been all week - questionable.

"Austin did some running today, but I wouldn't make him any better than questionable," Mackovic said.

Sophomore cornerback Michael Jolivette was held out of practice today because of a hip pointer.

"I have a minor injury, and they just want me to rest for the day," Jolivette said. "They want me to come back out tomorrow."