Navy QB Malcolm Perry plays in second half after watching first half in stands

An injury to quarterback Tago Smith meant Navy had to go into the crowd to find another quarterback during its game on Saturday vs. Fordham.

OK, the Midshipmen didn’t hold tryouts at halftime or randomly pick a cadet from the stands. But the team needed QB Malcolm Perry to suit up in the second half after he began the game watching with his fellow classmates.

The game got so out of hand in the second half that Perry ended up going from the crowd to the sideline to getting playing time. He finished with seven carries for 30 yards and even had a 16-yard run. The Midshipmen won the game 52-16 over its FCS opponent.

Perry, listed as the No. 4 QB heading into the game, played in the team’s JV game yesterday. He missed practices earlier in the week because he was sick, so the team didn’t have him dress initially for the game. When Navy needed him, the equipment staff had to go get his jersey.

He was moved to QB in the fall after coming to Navy as a slotback. The freshman spent the past school year at the Navy’s prep school after graduating from high school in 2015.

Smith entered the year as the team’s replacement for record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds. His first-half injury could be serious, as coach Ken Niumatalolo was reportedly crying when discussing Smith’s injury after the game.

Smith was Reynolds’ primary backup in 2015 and had 27 carries and three pass attempts in Navy’s option offense. Reynolds, a four-year starter at Navy, ran for an NCAA-record 88 touchdowns and threw for 31 throughout his career.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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