Bengals 2005 sixth-round draft pick Tab Perry conducted a conference call with local Cincinnati media following his selection. The transcript follows:
WIDE RECEIVER TAB PERRY
Q: What does it feel like to be picked by the Bengals in the sixth round?
"I was very excited. All of my family is from Cincinnati. I had the chance to work out with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. I know it's going to be fun playing with the Bengals. They are definitely a program on the rise."
Q: Who are the family members you have in Cincinnati?
"Everybody. I have everyone from my mom and dad to aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews and everybody."
Q: When was the last time you visited?
"I was just there three weeks ago. I used to come back every summer. I lived there a lot of the time when I was younger."
Q: Where were you born?
"I was born in Pennsylvania. I think my mom was transferred there for a job and then moved back to Cincinnati. We lived in Avondale."
Q: Where did you go to high school?
"I went to Milpitas High School in Northern California. We moved out to California when I was about two years old."
Q: And then they moved back here?
"No they didn't. Both of my parents attended Stanford. They just stayed out here when they went to find jobs. They always go back and forth."
Q: With all of your intangibles, like your height and speed, why do you think you lasted until the sixth round?
"I would say a lot of it was productivity. I think if you look at my combine numbers and everything else, I was up there with Braylon Edwards and others. It was just being suspended that one season from school, and I had to fight to get back. Unfortunately, we had new coaches and a new offensive coordinator, so it was hard coming back. I went from the go-to guy to a role player."
Q: So that one year out was very costly to you?
"In a football sense, yes. On a personal level, no. It helped me come back and finish what I started. I wanted to be loyal to my teammates because I look at them like brothers. I could have gone to another school or 1-AA school and put up great numbers, but in the end, I didn't want to be that guy who lets his teammates down."
Q: What happened that year?
"I was academically ineligible. I plagiarized on a paper. I needed that one class to be eligible to play on the football team. I basically didn't note information I got off the internet. The new coaches came in around the same time so I had to sit out. I couldn't take classes at another school, because that would have been considered a one-time transfer. I would had to take 11 and a half units at four different schools, so I just grinded it out and worked my way back."
Q: Was this an English class or a writing class?
"It was a writing class. I was studying for a physics exam at the same time and I didn't cite the material I got off of the internet. I was a senior and they said they wouldn't tolerate that and I would get an "F" for the class. I had to just work my way all the way back."
Q: Your folks went from Cincinnati out to Stanford ... were they athletes or...
"My mother ran track at Walnut Hills but went on an academic scholarship and only ran track out here for a little bit. My dad basically followed my mom."
Q: With parents who went to Stanford, I imagine they didn't look too kindly on what you did academically:
"They were disappointed, but they knew it was an honest mistake. They know I'm a smart guy. I've never really struggled in school prior to that. I tried to fix a mistake with another mistake, and I had to pay my dues."
Q: They have to be happy with you coming back to Cincinnati:
"They told me to make sure I get my grandfather tickets to the games and take care of my cousins. I know my whole family is excited about me being there."
Q: Did you follow the Bengals when you were a little kid?
"Not really. My father was a big Bengals fan. I think the year I was born, they went to the Super Bowl. I didn't start watching football until I was in high school."
Q: What have Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh told you about the attitude around here?
"They told me Coach Lewis is a heck of a coach. He doesn't take any nonsense and expects the best out of everybody. If I go there, I'm going to work. I don't have a problem with that because I've been working hard my whole life. They told me Carson (Palmer) is coming along and going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The system is young, but on the rise."
Q: You met Chad and T.J.? How?
"At a camp we do in Los Angeles, called the 'Phenom Factory.' They have it every year with college and pro receivers. When I was a sophomore, I went out to that camp. They have taught me the little things they know. Some of the tricks of the trade."
Q: Do you feel the Bengals are getting a steal in the sixth round?
"Definitely. I'm going to make all 30-plus teams pay for not picking me. I'm excited about the Bengals picking me. I think I'm going to fit well in their system. I think we're going to have a great receiving corps."
Q: In the summers you spent here, what did you do and where would you go?
"We lived right down the street from the Cincinnati Zoo, and I would also go to the water parks. I have so many cousins there that I would also just hang out a lot."
Q: What is your favorite part of the zoo?
"I would say the monkeys because they are always the funny ones."
