Cavalier Flashback: Anthony Poindexter Continues To Inspire Virginia

Poindexter's career at Virginia was over in a flash.

It's the nightmare all college football players have.  Now his NFL dreams had been completely dimmed with a painful reconstructive surgery.

Instead of going in the first round, Poindexter's name was not called until the seventh and final round.

The Baltimore Ravens took a chance on the ailing superstar and after two uninspiring years on special teams he was cut.

One play had ended Poindexter's playing career, but that's not where the story ends.

The Cavalier returned home to Charlottesville to help coach a team that meant so much to him.

In 2003, Poindexter returned to the sidelines as a graduate assistant for the football team.

The decision had to be nearly a no-brainer for Groh, he too was a former defensive starter and Virginia alumni.

By bringing back Poindexter he was connecting Virginia to some of its glory days under coach George Welsh. 

That season the Cavaliers recovered from an early season injury to quarterback and reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Schaub to reach the Continental Tire Bowl for a second straight year.

The defensive backfield put on a performance Poindexter could be proud of on that day.  Virginia became the team to break wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's consecutive games with a touchdown streak as the Cavaliers pulled off their second straight bowl victory over Groh against the Pittsburgh Panthers.

As one of the greatest safeties in school history, it seemed curious that coach Groh's next move was to put Poindexter at the position of running backs coach.

Unorthodox?  Perhaps, but the gamble seems to have worked.

In his first year as Virginia's running back coach, the Cavaliers had the second greatest improvement in rushing average in the history of the ACC. 

Behind the power of the running tandem of Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman, Virginia marched out to tie its longest winning streak in school history and peaked at the No. 5 ranking in the country.

Both men are now ranked in the top 10 in career rushing yards at Virginia.

In 2005, Virginia had some injury issues at the running back position but still managed to use the feet of quarterback Marques Hagans to pull off a huge victory over Florida State on the 10-year anniversary of their historic win.

After the departure of Lundy, the pressure was on Poindexter to find the next running back for Virginia.  Well it's safe to say he succeeded.

First it was Jason Snelling, a converted fullback who used his strength to help the Cavaliers average over 122 rushing yards per game.

Then it was Mikell Simpson, a man who started his career fourth on the depth chart, who single-handedly helped Virginia take out Maryland in 2007 en route to a Gator Bowl appearance.

Last year it was Cedric Peerman, a man who in many ways mirrored his mentor Poindexter.

Both men believed in playing to the whistle, and many of Peerman's best plays came when the defense was already slacking off.  Peerman typically refused to be tackled by one man and it resulted in big plays.

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