THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 23, 1996 TAG: 9610230420
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 95 lines
The most amazing thing about Anthony Poindexter - more so than his legendary hard hits or three interceptions last Saturday - is that none of his Virginia teammates have given him a nickname that has stuck.
You would think the 20-year-old defensive back would be answering to ``The Assassin,'' ``The Hammer,'' or ``Captain Knockout'' by now.
Maybe even ``The Stopper,'' in honor of his hit on Florida State's Warrick Dunn at the goal line on the last play of last year's game to help save the biggest victory in Virginia's football history.
But nicknames?
``We sometimes call him 'Sexy Dexy','' defensive tackle Todd White said.
Poindexter says he's never heard that one, and besides, it doesn't relate to the merciless punch he puts into his tackles on the football field.
If the guys in the TV booth for Saturday's game against Florida State really need a moniker to put on him, they can just call the 6-foot-1, 216-pound sophomore ``The Legend.''
Friends say the legend really began at Jefferson Forest High School near Lynchburg, where he was a three-sport star.
A two-way starter at quarterback and free safety, he left several opposing players with bruised ribs and hit one so hard that he ruptured his spleen.
While he helped Adrian Burnim protect the goal line from Dunn, Poindexter is best known among Scott Stadium fans for the game-stopping knockout tackle he dealt to Texas tight end Chris Smith three weeks ago.
Then there was the hit that laid out Virginia's highly-regarded freshman tailback Thomas Jones in only his third practice in pads last August.
``He's never laid me out like he did Thomas. I wasn't as careless as Thomas was, but he's got me pretty good a couple of times,'' tailback Tiki Barber said.
``Poindexter has been hitting like that since he was on the scout team his red-shirt year. Coach (George) Welsh would be screaming, `Don't hit the backs, don't hit the backs,' and he'd still nail us.''
Poindexter admits he loves to hit, and often hits so hard that he leaves himself a bit dizzy, too.
``But I don't want to hurt anyone,'' he said. ``I just want to let them know I've been there. You know, send them a little message.''
Poindexter loves hitting so much, in fact, that he has to resist the urge to go after an opponent instead of the ball on pass defense.
His teammates were even kidding him about having only one interception before he hushed them by collecting three in the first half against N.C. State.
``Sometimes I would rather get in a good hit than make an interception, but I know I've got to make the pick if I have a chance to give us the ball,'' Poindexter said.
``I think the reason he's like that on the field is because he doesn't care about his body at all,'' Barber said. ``He will sacrifice his body to have a good hit. That's just his mentality once he gets on the playing field. He goes crazy. Even when he's warming up in practice, he's screaming. He's just yelling for no reason.
``It's just his attitude. That's why he is a great player.''
Poindexter is talkative and friendly, but he leaves it up to his teammates to rave about him.
He is modest almost to a fault and completely nonchalant about not yet receiving the national attention that Welsh feels he deserves.
He received mentions in preseason publications after a splendid freshman season, but some teammates are ahead of him on the honors lists.
``It doesn't bother me. I am not all that big on recognition stuff,'' Poindexter said.
``Besides, when you are playing with two All-American linebackers (Jamie Sharper and James Farrior) and an All-American cornerback (Ronde Barber), it is harder to get recognition.''
Poindexter is reluctant to brag about any of his big hits.
He says he didn't mean to hit Thomas so hard, and even tried to pull up. He didn't realize he hit Smith so hard in the Texas game, either.
``Not until I heard the crowd go `Ooooh','' he said.
What is the source of all the pent-up emotion and hard hitting?
Poindexter says it comes from his father, John, a warehouse desk clerk who never played sports.
``My dad says whatever you do, go at it hard. He is a real hard worker and I try to be more like my dad every day,'' he said.
Poindexter also remembers being tossed around playfully as a youngster by older cousins.
``They used to bang me up a lot, and I'd say when I got bigger I was going to try to bang people around. That's the only thing I can really think of,'' he said.
Poindexter also was a star infielder on the high school baseball team and was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 1994 free agent draft.
He says he never considered signing a baseball contract because his mom was set on him attending college and getting his degree.
``She'd rather have me get that degree than to play sports,'' he said.
If he hits the books as hard as he hits on the field, Poindexter should graduate with honors. ILLUSTRATION: Color LAWRENCE JACKSON photo/The Virginian-Pilot
Virginia safety Anthony Poindexter, known mostly for his big hits,
had three interceptions against N.C. State last Saturday. He now has
four this year.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB