Harper finally makes noise Rick Stroud, The St.Petersburg Times, published 25 September 1995 Bucs fans discovered there's only one thing worse than a dejected Alvin Harper. It's an ejected Alvin Harper. After spending three weeks just trying to get on the field, the free-agent receiver had an impossible time staying there Sunday. Harper's bizarre debut for the Buccaneers saw him catch the game-clinching touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. But it was the end to a great beginning for Harper, who was thrown out of the game for grabbing head linesman Earnie Frantz while reacting to what he thought was a blown call by side judge Doug Toole, who appeared to have ruled him out of bounds. At least Harper, who signed a four-year, $10.6-million contract, proved he is money in the bank around the goal line. He will be fined at least $5,000 for his bump-and-run on the official. "What it did? It proved a point. He's the receiver we thought he was," coach Sam Wyche said. "He made the big play that basically ended up winning the game for us." Long before he pulled the disappearing act Sunday, Harper had felt invisible. Injuries to both ankles kept him out of two preseason and three regular-season games. When Harper did make his first Bucs start, he did not have a pass thrown his way in the first half and threw a tantrum on the sideline. "I wanted the ball and I know the people in the stands wanted to see me catch some passes," Harper said. "I think I broke a telephone on the sideline I was so frustrated that I wasn't getting any passes." Harper finally got his way on the first play of the second half when he caught a 13-yard pass on a comeback route from Trent Dilfer. Harper, despite the ejection, wound up leading the club in receiving with three catches for 27 yards and the TD. Ironically, Harper was not the primary receiver on the touchdown pass. After seeing Lawrence Dawsey and Courtney Hawkins were covered, Dilfer came back to Harper on a timing pattern with a throw to the left pylon. "I think it kind of helps Trent," Harper said of the TD. "Trent knows he can throw the ball anywhere in my general direction and if I'm not going to catch it, they're not going to catch it. He has the confidence in me making a big-time play for him." But when Harper did not see the TD signal and when Toole appeared to rule him out of bounds, he came unglued. Dawsey and Dilfer tried in vain to restrain Harper. "He saw one official saying no, and he went ballistic," Dawsey said. "When I caught the pass, I didn't see him throw his hands up," Harper said. "I was going over there to try and plead my case and Lawrence kept me off. And I got away from Lawrence and slipped down. When I was going down, I reached out to hold myself up and I grabbed him. And he thought I was trying to grab him to pull him. It was totally an accident." Harper received a standing ovation on his way to the showers, but sat and watched the remainder of the game on closed-circuit television in the locker room. "That was the first time I've ever been ejected and it will be the last," Harper said. "I won't get kicked out of another game, I'll guarantee you that. I'll keep my mouth shut."