Anthony Poindexter

Poindexter was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. He attended New London Academy, Forest Middle School, and Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia and played for the Jefferson Forest Cavaliers middle school football team and high school football team. In middle school, he played quarterback and led his team to an undefeated season. Following his high school career, where he played quarter back and safety, he "was [named] the Group AA Defensive Player of the Year in Virginia in 1993 after leading the Cavaliers to two consecutive Group AA Division 3 state championships, beating Matoaca both years in the finals. During Poindexter's sophomore year in 1991, he quarterbacked the team to the state finals, where they lost to Nottoway County High School Cougars. Anthony Poindexter also excelled on the varsity basketball and baseball teams during his time at Jefferson Forest and was drafted by Major League baseball teams after his senior year in high school and again following his junior year at UVA, despite not having played while in college.[1]

Poindexter accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Virginia and he played safety for coach George Welsh's Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1995 to 1998. He was compared to NFL players, such as Ronnie Lott, for his hard-hitting style. As a redshirt freshman in 1995, Poindexter teamed with fellow defensive back Adrian Burnim in one of the most famous plays in Cavalier history as the two stopped Florida State's running back Warrick Dunn inches from the endzone on the last play of the game, which preserved Virginia's 33–28 victory over the Seminoles. That was the first time Virginia or any other ACC team had defeated the Seminoles in conference play. In 1996, he made a school record with 98 tackles and as a junior in 1997 he had his first All-American season with 78 tackles.[2] As a junior, Poindexter had the choice between declaring himself for the 1998 NFL Draft or staying in college for his senior year. Draft experts projected that he would likely be drafted in the first round, but Poindexter stayed at Virginia for his senior season but watched his draft stock plummet as injuries corrupted his senior season. The Cavaliers were expected to have a very strong team and were ranked as high as the top ten. In the first seven games of the season, Poindexter made 73 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions.

In a game against N.C. State in 1998, Poindexter made a tackle on wide receiver Chris Coleman but he twisted his left leg and tore his ACL and two other ligaments. His season at Virginia was over, and possibly his professional career; he could not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine or the Virginia Pro Day.

Poindexter's No. 3 [UVA] jersey was retired on October 10, 2009.[3]

Poindexter was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.[4]

His chances of getting drafted were slim and depended on the teams doctors' opinions. It was the Baltimore Ravens who dared to take a chance on Poindexter by drafting him in the seventh round with the 216th overall pick. In his rookieseason, he was placed on the injured reserve list and he returned for the Ravens' championship season in 2000. He played in 10 games on special teams where he caused one forced fumble. He did not play in Super Bowl XXXV, however. Shortly after the game, he was released, but was picked up by the Cleveland Browns in June 2001. He was released again in September that same year and never played another NFL game.

After the end of his NFL career in 2001, Poindexter returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant. He eventually made his way up the coaching totem pole and was the safeties coach at the end of his tenure at the University of Virginia.

In 2014, Poindexter accepted a position at the University of Connecticut as the defensive coordinator/safeties coach.

In 2017, Poindexter was hired as the co-defensive coordinator (along with Nick Holt) and safeties coach. Purdue has made two bowl games in his tenure as defensive coordinator.

• Purdue Boilermakers bio