By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

Chris Perry worked out and studied plays during his 10-day holdout. The Enquirer/STEVEN M. HERPPICH

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Chris Perry won't have to endure teammate Madieu Williams' early-morning wakeup calls any longer.

Perry, who was living and working out in Ann Arbor, Mich., during his 10-day holdout, which ended Tuesday, would call Williams late at night. Then Williams would call early the following morning en route to a training camp meeting or practice.

"I knew he was trying to sleep in," Williams said.

Perry, the Bengals' first-round draft pick, signed his contract Tuesday afternoon at the team's training camp headquarters. He will practice with the Bengals for the first time this morning.

"It was a little frustrating," Perry said. "Everybody's a little anxious to get started on their rookie season. And so I'm just happy that it's all taken care of."

Perry has few, if any, regrets about the holdout, which caused him to miss 15 practices and the scrimmage and mock game. He never told agent Eugene Parker to hurry up and get it done.

"No, not really. There are things he has to do and things the team has to do," Perry said. "It's his specialty; that's what he does. So I let him do his job."

The Enquirer learned Tuesday morning that Perry's deal was for five years and worth more than $7 million with $3 million in backside incentive and escalator clauses.

If he reaches all of the incentives, Perry would earn more than fellow rookie running back Steven Jackson, drafted by the Rams at No. 24 overall, two slots ahead of Perry.

Perry will receive a $3.9 million split signing bonus, a source told the Enquirer. He received $2.1 million to sign and will get another $1.8 million early next year. The first year is worth $4.525 million.

There was one minor issue involving incentive language to finalize Tuesday morning, and then Perry went to work in the afternoon.

After his press conference, Perry stood in the lobby of Georgetown College's conference center. He said he wanted to check in and get his room key. Running backs coach Jim Anderson spotted Perry in the lobby and told Perry to follow him to a meeting room.

Once there, Anderson and Perry sat at a table, and Anderson handed the rookie his new expanded playbook.

In addition to working out with a strength and conditioning coach in Michigan, Perry said he studied his notes from the two spring minicamps and on-field coaching sessions.

"I had a pretty good feel for the offense when I left this summer, so coming back now, I'm not sure what they added in," he said.

He also had missed some on-field work because of a slight hamstring injury that he said is now completely healed.

Perry was not expected to play in the Bengals' preseason opener Saturday night at Tampa, coach Marvin Lewis said Monday. Perry was listed as the third tailback on the depth chart, dated Aug. 9, behind Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson and ahead of Herbert Goodman and Skip Hicks.

Perry is expected to eventually work as Johnson's top backup and be used as a third-down receiver.

Watson did not practice Tuesday afternoon and was believed to be getting a rest from coach Marvin Lewis. Most of the 90-minute practice concentrated on special teams.

Perry seemed to have followed Lewis' advice during the holdout.

"I told him all the time through this thing, for him just to be patient, to keep doing what he was doing, and keep his mind so when it was done he's ready to play football," Lewis said.

Still, Perry said, he is eager to make up for the lost time.

"You're never going to be in perfect football shape unless you go to football practice," he said. "I know it's going to take a few days to get acclimated and back to where I need to be."

Perry was asked if he expected to he hazed by veterans after the holdout.

"I expect them to receive me the same way they received me when I first came to Cincinnati," he said. "I think everybody knows that football at this level is a business, so I don't think there's going to be any animosity and that they'll treat me any differently."

He had a message for fans.

"You can expect a player who loves to play and is going to work hard to play more," he said. "I like to win, I love to win."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com