FOOTBALL GIVES PERRY NEW LIFE.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE

Even on his worst days, when he was lost, disillusioned and running the streets of gritty Pacoima, Ramon Perry knew he had an out.

Football skills like the kind Perry's been blessed with are a rare commodity, so it was only a matter of time before the right opportunity presented itself and took him away from an environment he'd been trying to escape his whole life.

At least that's what Perry kept telling himself.

Like an old, familiar pillow, it's a dream he fell asleep to more times than he cares to remember, his own personal mute button to quiet down the misery that raged around him.

``The thing I never forgot, no matter how bad it got, was that I knew I could play football,'' Perry said. ``I know enough about football to know I had something somebody wanted and could use. For me, that was the one thing I hung onto through some pretty bad times.''

Perry smiles shyly as he remembers a time in his life most people would rather forget. Behind him, a highlight tape plays on a small TV inside the sparse football office at Pierce College. On it, Perry makes a catch in traffic then steals away to the end zone for a long touchdown.

It's the kind of play Perry made many times last year in his only season with the Pierce football team, and one of the reasons all those college programs hurried to the Woodland Hills campus with scholarships in hand.

Perry ultimately signed with West Texas State, completing a remarkable escape job Houdini would be proud of.

Three years ago Perry was roaming the streets of Pacoima, and every second that passed was another moment he avoided the harsh certainty of a kid in his position: Jail or a casket.

Now he's preparing for his first season at West Texas State, his dream of playing college football about to be realized and his hopes of playing in the NFL still very much alive.

``Not a bad story, huh?'' said Pierce College offensive coordinator Billy Parra.

Parra should know. Two years ago Parra returned to his Pacoima roots to hunt Perry down.

Literally.

At the time, Parra was making the coaching jump from Kennedy High of Granada Hills to Pierce College, and he was on the prowl for talent to build his offense around.

From his Kennedy days Parra remembered the electrifying Perry, a former football, wrestling and basketball star at San Fernando High whose career flamed out in 2002 when he flunked out of College of the Canyons.

Parra, who grew up in Pacoima and played college football at Valley College and Cal Lutheran University, went back to his old neighborhood to find Perry and bring him to Pierce.

Little did he know he'd end up rescuing the youngster.

``I remember asking guys on the street if they knew where he was and where I could find him,'' Parra said.

At first Parra got the silent treatment.

``Nobody wanted to give me any information.'' he said.

Finally someone claimed he could get in contact with Perry.

``So I left my cell phone number with the guy,'' Parra said. ``And I went home and waited for a call.''

Perry made the call, but at first he thought Parra sounded too much like every other coach that offered him the world, but never delivered on their promises.

``I didn't really trust him at first,'' Perry said.

At the same time, Perry knew he was running out of chances.

This is a kid who got kicked out of San Fernando late in his senior year for getting into a fight, ruining any hopes of a college scholarship despite being one of the best athletes in the region at the time.

``Who's gonna want to give a scholarship to a kid who gets kicked out of school?'' Perry said.

Then he wasted a great opportunity at COC, flunking out of school after a productive freshman season.

``It's never been a question about talent,'' said COC coach Chuck Lyon. ``As far as that goes, he's every bit as good as anyone we've ever had. He's a Pac-10 talent, without question. Unfortunately he wasn't where he needed to be in all the other areas, like going to school and being responsible - and that cost him.''

So when Parra offered him the opportunity to play football at Pierce - and with it the guarantee that he'd do everything possible to insure success on and off the field - Perry grabbed it.

``I was sort of lost at that time,'' Perry said. ``No job, no plan. I needed something to happen.''

Slowly but surely, coach and player developed a bond. What helped most was the long car rides they shared. Every single morning, Parra drove to Pacoima to pick Perry up and make sure he got to class in time.

``There's only so much music you can listen to,'' Parra said, laughing. ``Eventually you have to talk.''

Perry learned he had a lot in common with his new coach. Both grew up in Pacoima, without fathers, fighting to survive in a neighborhood that's claimed more than its share of young lives.

Both used football as an escape to a better life. Parra turned his life around in Thousand Oaks while playing at Cal Lutheran, and now Perry was trying to do the same in Woodland Hills.

``He followed up on what he said he'd do for me, and for me that was huge,'' Perry said. ``Once I saw he was being honest, and actually wanted to help, we've been cool.''

On the field, Parra, polished up Perry's game, taking a raw talent with incredible speed and athletic ability and molding it into a well-rounded receiver.

``I didn't know about anything like coverages and technique until I hooked up with coach Parra,'' Perry said. ``And once he helped me with those things, my game took off.''

Coupled with his improved maturity in the classroom, Perry's football career was back on track.

By the middle of last season a number of college programs were offering scholarships. That included most Pac-10 schools, but because Perry flunked out of COC three years ago, he wasn't eligible for a Division I scholarship.

West Texas State, a Division II school, was the next best alternative.

``I'm just happy I can continue my career,'' Perry said. ``But mostly I'm happy to have my life back.''

He knows exactly who he has to thank for that.

``I'll never forget what coach Parra did for me,'' Perry said. ``If it wasn't for him...''

He didn't have to finish the sentence.

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Photo:

Ramon Perry, front, came to Pierce College at the urging of football coach Billy Parra, back.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer