Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 30, 1994                   TAG: 9409300022
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FERRUM                                 LENGTH: Medium

POINDEXTER JUMP-STARTS HIS FERRUM CAREER AS A RECEIVER

Like most college football players, John Poindexter knows one thing for certain: Starting is a lot more fun than backing up someone.

That's why when Ferrum coach Dave Davis asked Poindexter, a backup quarterback the past two seasons, to consider a move to wide receiver, Poindexter was more than willing to comply.

Davis, who replaced the wishbone offense this year with a multiple set, said selecting Poindexter for the position was a natural choice. He has quick feet, knows the routes and has experience catching a ball.

In the spring, Poindexter plays right field for Ferrum's baseball team. And catching is catching, right?

``Yeah, but [in baseball] you don't have to worry about someone taking your head off after you catch it,'' said Poindexter, a junior who also is averaging 28.7 yards on seven kickoff returns this season.

Poindexter, 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, leads the Panthers (1-3) in receptions with nine for 146 yards. He scored his first touchdown Saturday against Thomas More on a 79-yard bomb from quarterback Josh Whitley.

``I like things a whole lot better,'' Poindexter said of the switch. ``I know being a backup is important for a team, too, but it feels good to be a starter, out there all the time.''

Davis described Poindexter as Ferrum's isolation receiver, the player he goes to in key situations.

``It didn't make sense to have someone of John's talents in a backup position,'' he said. ``He's not a natural [at receiver], but he's such a good person that he will do whatever you ask him to do.''

Poindexter said he enjoyed the responsibility of being the ``go-to'' guy and the one-on-one matchups with the opponent's best cornerback.

``It's a good challenge for me,'' he said. ``I like it because it shows the coach has confidence in me.''

Poindexter was a wishbone quarterback at Jefferson Forest High School, where he played with his brother, Anthony, one of the top-rated recruits in the state last year. Anthony Poindexter is a freshman defensive back at Virginia this season, but a knee injury has kept him from playing.

Growing up, John Poindexter said he didn't give much thought to playing college football - ``I wanted to go to the pros,'' he said. Hank Norton, then the coach at Ferrum, was the first to visit Poindexter and immediately sold him on the Panthers' program.

``He talked to me and made things sound so good. I knew I'd fit in here,'' said Poindexter, a physical education major who spends nine hours a week working in the school's cafeteria. He checks student IDs at the door, serves food and occasionally gets to cook - his real passion.

``My brother and I both enjoy cooking. My mom says we cook better than she does,'' said Poindexter, whose specialties include spaghetti and steaks on the grill.

Poindexter said he is on track to graduate from Ferrum next year and hopes to return to Jefferson Forest as a coach and teacher. For now, however, he plans on continuing to have fun at his new starting position.