Las Vegas is Park’s place

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

The injury report in Air Force's media release this week lists wide receiver Anthony Park as questionable for Saturday's game with UNLV with a knee sprain. But the 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior from Las Vegas High School says he'll be ready to go when the Falcons arrive at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"We didn't even do an MRI on it," Park said Monday night from Colorado Springs. "I should be good to go by Wednesday. I've never played in Sam Boyd Stadium before although I've gone to some UNLV games there. So I'm really looking forward to playing out there Saturday."

Park is second on the team in receptions with 10 for 236 yards and one touchdown. He is averaging an outstanding 23.6 yards per catch.

Park had a 41-yard reception in Air Force's 49-30 victory over Army last Saturday, a win that clinched the Commander in Chief's Trophy for the sixth straight year for the Falcons. He also just missed grabbing his second touchdown pass of the year, but Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge overthrew him in the end zone.

"That's one of the top goals in our program," Park said of winning the Commander in Chief's Trophy for the 13th time in the last 14 years.

"It's great for the seniors because they get to go to Washington D.C. and meet the President. And the senior class has never lost a game to Army or Navy. That's something I'd like to see us continue next year."

Park comes from an athletic family. His older brother, George, is a wide receiver with the Yasugi White Dolphins of the Japan Football League. And his mother, Dottie Martin, is a physical education teacher at Cheyenne High School as well as an executive casino host at Santa Fe Station who also coaches track and field.

In fact, Park was more highly recruited in track than in football after helping lead Las Vegas to an 11-1 record in his senior year. Washington State and Kansas State were among the many schools which offered him a track scholarship as a long jumper and triple jumper.

Park has managed to participate in both sports at Air Force despite the Academy's grueling academic load. He has a personal best of 23 feet, 10 inches in the long jump and 50 feet, 10 1/4 inches in the triple jump.

"I initially was recruited by Air Force in track, but then I told them I also played football," he said. "So when I got my appointment, I elected to do both."

Park was asked what it is like to play with Harridge, who received national attention while helping lead the Falcons to a 6-0 start and No. 15 ranking earlier this season.

"He is a fiery player," Park said. "He really helps to get the team going. He's a great leader."

Park then paused and chuckled, "He's also my roommate. And he's sitting right here listening to me talk to you about him."

Besides returning home to Las Vegas to play football this weekend, Park also gets to return to Nellis Air Force Base where he spent much of the summer taking part in Air Force Operations duty.

The Falcons will fly into Nellis on Friday morning, take a tour of the facility, meet with members of the Thunderbirds and have lunch there. Then it's off to Sam Boyd Stadium for a walk through and to the hotel for game preparation.

"It's going to be great to go back to Nellis again," Park said. "That was a great experience I had there. And it's going to be great to see my family and friends out there this weekend."