On Feb. 8, 2007, Indian River High School senior Perry Townsend decided which school he plans to play collegiate football. Townsend, along with his family, has signed a letter-of-intent and accepted an athletic scholarship to play college football for Holy Cross University next fall.
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Surrounded by family and friends, Indian River’s Perry Townsend signed a letter of intent to play collegiate football at Holy Cross next fall. Back to front, left to right, Jimmy Bunting, Phillip Townsend, Mabel Bender, Donna Bunting, Rick Via, Sen. George Howard Bunting, Paul Kmetz, Perry Townsend and Pat ViaGeorgetown University, West Chester University and the University of Delaware all wanted him, but he chose instead to trek up north to Worcester, Mass., to play linebacker for the Division I-AA Crusaders.
“I went up to their football camp in the spring and got a feel for things, and everything seemed good,” Townsend said.
“They recruited me strongly throughout the season, and for me it just felt like the best decision,” he added.
Holy Cross is the founding member of the Division I Patriot League and is steeped in academic tradition.
And the Holy Cross football staff believes that Townsend’s addition to their team will only strengthen the team.
“Perry’s a great athlete and a great student,” Crusaders head coach Tom Gilmore said. “He’s a great all-around kid. And we’re excited to have a kid of his caliber coming to play for our team.”
“He typifies the type of player that we want associated with our program,” Gilmore continued.
Holy Cross placed 16 members of their football team on the 2006 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for having grade-point averages of 3.2 of better during the fall season. And they finished the season with a 7-4 record and went 4-2 in the conference.
Holy Cross runs multiple 4-3 and 3-4 defensive front schemes. And Townsend was one of three linebackers signed this winter, though each will play a different position.
“We signed three linebackers, but each one is a little different,” Gilmore said. “One’s more of a Sam (strong-side) linebacker. The other’s bigger and more of a Mike (middle) linebacker. Perry’s more the mobile-type, so we slate Perry to play him at the Will (weak side) position.”
“He’s an aggressive linebacker who runs like a strong safety, and he’ll be free to run because he’ll be detached from the formation.”
“He’s basically our rover,” Gilmore continued.
Gilmore stated that this year’s recruiting class was by far the best he’s had since accepting the head coaching job in 2004.
“The first couple of years we took 37 and 34 guys to build up the depth,” Gilmore explained. “We have 28 in this year’s class, and I’m really excited because he’s apart of a great (recruiting) class.”
“I’m really excited about the quality of this year’s class,” Gilmore said.
Townsend and the other two linebacker recruits (both from New Jersey) join a linebacker corps that returns 11. And with only three or four positions available, competition for playing time will be fierce.
But, according to linebacker coach Mark McDonough, anywhere from 15 to 16 players see significant playing time for the Crusaders, depending on the package. And only the best touch the field.
“Our philosophy is that the best 11 guys will play, and we have numerous packages to try to get the best 11 on the field at any time,” McDonough said. “We start the game off with 11, but, in all, we’ll probably play anywhere 15 to 16 guys, depending on the situation.”
The Holy Cross coaching staff feels very comfortable that Townsend will settle in nicely at the Will or weak-side linebacker position and could push for playing time. He’s nearly assured quality playing time on the Crusader’s junior varsity team but could find a niche playing special teams and in certain packages for the varsity team.
“We think he could contribute right away,” Gilmore said. “We wouldn’t have taken him if we didn’t think so.”
“There’s no question Perry has the talent to play JV ball,” McDonough said. “But his best shot may be to play varsity is on special teams.”
Townsend has all the intangibles that they’re looking for in a football player: a good football IQ and good instincts.
Now all he has to do is adapt to a faster brand of football.
“His biggest adjustment is going to be the speed of the game,” McDonough said. “He was, no question, one of the best football players on the field (in high school). But up here, everyone’s faster. And everyone’s bigger.”
“He’ll have to make decisions a little faster up here,” McDonough said. “But he’ll be able to do that because of the IQ he has and the love for the game he has.”
Townsend had to improve his speed to play varsity football for Indian River and make the transition from offensive lineman to fullback for his junior season.
“Each program, it’s all about speed,” Indian River head coach Jim Bunting said. “Perry had to work on that as a sophomore, and I think that he will meet the challenge (in college).”
Perry Townsend’s twin brother, Phil, made the varsity program as a sophomore because he was faster, according to Bunting.
And Perry Townsend approached Bunting, as so many others have in the past, and asked him what he had to do to make the transition.
“Phil’s faster than Perry, even though he might not want to hear it,” Bunting said. “And Phil literally got out of the blocks faster than Perry (as sophomores).”
“And Perry came to me and asked me what he had to do play fullback, because we had Johnny Miklejohn and (Josh) Gott back there and he couldn’t run with either. So I told him he had to run at least a 5.0 (in the 40-yard dash) to be in the backfield.”
“And he did,” Bunting added. “He started doing plyometrics and box drills, and he got his speed up.”
By his senior year, Townsend ran a 4.7. He had scored 15 total touchdowns, led the team and gained a combined 741 total yards from the line of scrimmage. His 18 receptions tied him for the team lead with junior wide receiver Trevor Abbott.
His junior season, he served as one of many fullbacks in a running-back-by-committee approach and gained 120 yards on 23 carries.
Townsend saw that number swell in his senior season and flourished as he became more of a featured back, especially around the goal line.
Townsend scored 10 rushing touchdowns and finished the season with 429 rushing yards on 45 carries for a healthy 9.5 yards per carry. His senior season’s efforts earned him second-team all-conference honors for the first time in his career.
Townsend also was a second-team All-State selection in 2006, in addition to securing consecutive first-team all-conference defensive honors.
He was named to the third-team All-State team in 2005.
And if history holds its course, Townsend will undoubtedly rise to the challenge of playing collegiate football while continuing his education and be successful at both.
“Perry’s willing to take a challenge,” Bunting said. “He’s not going to bury his head in the sand. If he says he’s going to do try something, then he’ll do it.”
“I’m sure they’ll set a challenge for him, and Perry will do it,” he added.
Holy Cross will open their season up on the road on Sept. 1 against the University of Massachusetts.