Closing time for UVa's Jon Copper
The Northside grad beat the odds to enjoy a solid career at UVa.
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As he prepared for his final visit to Blacksburg in a Virginia football uniform, Jon Copper had a confession to make earlier this week.

For more than a year, Copper has had a Hokie connection.

Matt Dixon, younger brother of Copper's wife, Holly, is a sophomore at Virginia Tech.

That probably will be the source of some playful banter this week, as UVa prepares for a noon Saturday game at Lane Stadium.

"Not between me and him," Copper said. "I usually win [our] wrestling matches. Holly's whole family is UVa. And, Matt was, too. His room's actually still decorated in blue and orange, but I know he tries to razz 'em up a lot."

In all fairness, Copper was a distinguished wrestler at Northside High School, finishing as the 275-pound state runner-up in 2003, when he was the Timesland boys' athlete of the year.

Matt Dixon probably needs to get Copper on a basketball floor, where Dixon once hit nine 3-pointers in a game for Glenvar High School.

Copper already has enough activities to occupy his time, although more of it will become available as his college football career comes to a close.

Copper, who will make his 37th consecutive start at inside linebacker, would be receptive to a pro football overture but understands that Saturday's football game could be his last.

"It kind of set in Saturday that this season of lasts was wrapping up," said Copper, who was joined by his parents and wife when UVa's seniors were introduced before his final home game.

It's been a long journey for Copper, who turned 24 in September. After his final football season at Northside in 2002, he made an oral commitment to Virginia without being offered a scholarship, then spent a year at Fork Union Academy despite impeccable academic credentials.

"I had a partial offer from [non-scholarship] Bucknell but they dropped me," said Copper, who played for John Shuman during his postgraduate year at Fork Union. "Coach Shuman told me, 'Man, you know you're terrible when Bucknell drops you.'"

Copper, a defensive lineman until his final season at Northside, was an outstanding high school player who made himself into a respectable Division I-A player through unrivaled work habits and strength of will.

"I've been known to watch a lot of film." said UVa outside linebacker and co-captain Clint Sintim, one of Copper's fellow fifth-year seniors, "But [Copper's] been doing it a lot longer than I have, and he takes notes.

"Copper's the man. I think he feeds off the fact that he's not the fastest or the strongest or the tallest. Every team has one, a guy who puts his heart and soul into the team and really isn't blessed with the same tangibles as other players.

"The defense wouldn't run without him. He might be the MVP on this defense."

Groh said that Copper has been the perfect model for Steve Greer, a true freshman linebacker from Ohio who is being redshirted this year but considered a possible Copper successor.

"As productive as [Copper] has been, he's as unassuming as a person could be," Groh said. "He just quietly goes about his business. He's had a remarkable, amazing, distinguished career."

Some might have found it surprising when Copper was not chosen one of the Cavaliers' co-captains but, since his May 2007 wedding, he has had a slightly different lifestyle than most. He's the only married player on the team.

"Jon's not particularly vocal in the group dynamics of the team," Groh said. "It's a bit of an unusual situation in that, while he may not have the captain's tag, he's one of the most-respected members of the team."

Said Sintim: "He's in a different place in his life than a lot of other people are."

Copper enters play Saturday with 292 tackles for his college career. With one more stop, he will enter the UVa record book as one of the 15 all-time tacklers. He leads the team with 92 tackles this season. Second is Antonio Appleby with 66.

Copper is certain to perform a feat, leading UVa in tackles for three successive seasons -- last accomplished by Charles McDaniel from 1982-84.

"It's something my wife can tell our kids about," said Copper, who is extremely devout. "It's not something I think about a lot. For whatever reason, God has opened doors here that I don't think would have opened at other places. This has been above and beyond what I could have imagined."

 

U.VA. NOTES: U.Va.‘s 7-foot center gets cleared to play
Published: November 27, 2008

U.Va.'s 7-foot center gets cleared to play
About an hour before tipoff Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia issued a short release that said center Assane Sene had been cleared to play this season.

Sene, a 7-0, 234-pound freshman from Senegal, had sat out the Cavaliers' first three games while the NCAA reviewed his eligibility status. But he didn't play Tuesday against Liberty, and neither 6-11 senior Tunji Soroye nor 6-11 senior John Brandenburg got off the bench in U.Va.'s 68-62 defeat.

The Flames have no starters taller than 6-5 and run a spread offense. Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao has plenty of size on his roster, but he chose to go small against Liberty.

A big lineup "would be an advantage if you made them pay on your offensive end," Leitao said. "John or Assane or Tunji, when you go big, they're not natural scorers yet, and so it's hard to take advantage of a size advantage when you can't put the ball in the basket that way. It becomes a little bit of a disadvantage in the chess match because they've got to, in turn, guard people on the perimeter, which is very difficult for them to do."

Cavs' freshman guard has his breakout game
In his first start for the Cavaliers, redshirt freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski scored a career-high 24 points. All came in the second half.

"I just needed to be more aggressive," said Zeglinski, who made six 3-pointers. "As aggressive as I played in the second half, I played just as bad in the first half, and I knew I had to pick the team up, because it started with me coming out flat."

The loss ended U.Va.'s 16-game winning streak against Big South Conference foes. Virginia (3-1) visits Syracuse (5-0) tomorrow night.

Liberty game plan held Cavalier Scott in check
Leitao started only one post player -- 6-8, 233-pound Mike Scott -- and the sophomore pulled down 17 rebounds Tuesday night. But Scott, who scored 26 points on opening night versus Virginia Military Institute, took only four shots against Liberty.

"I love Scott," said Flames coach Ritchie McKay, whose team played an aggressive zone. "He had a great game against VMI, and we were really concerned, so we tried to sit in front of him and behind him. Sometimes maybe he was open for a second, but we were fortunate enough that they didn't get inside that second he was open."

Leitao said: "I thought the ball needed to get below 15 feet a lot more than it did, either via the pass, penetration or post-up."

U.Va. and Tech feature not-so-good offenses
The football team plays a marquee opponent this weekend too. U.Va. (3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference, 5-6) closes the regular season Saturday afternoon against Virginia Tech (4-3, 7-4) at Lane Stadium.

Among the 119 teams in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, Tech ranks 89th in scoring offense, and U.Va. is 115th. In total offense, the Cavaliers are 102nd and the Hokies 109th.

Still, as U.Va. linebacker Clint Sintim sees it, any offense that includes quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon and tailback Darren Evans is cause for concern.

The Hokies are "struggling a little bit," Sintim said, "but they still have the potential to break a game open with some of their playmakers."

Sewell expects to battle to regain starting spot
Come spring practice, the most intriguing battle at U.Va. figures to be at quarterback. Jameel Sewell, who started 22 consecutive games before being suspended from school last winter for academic reasons, will be re-admitted to U.Va. in January.

Sewell, a former Hermitage High star, has one year of eligibility left. He hopes to win back the job now held by sophomore Marc Verica, who has started the past nine games.

"It ought to be fairly competitive," Virginia coach Al Groh said Tuesday.

Also likely to return to school in January are two other players who were placed on academic suspension: cornerback Chris Cook and inside linebacker Darnell Carter. Cook might move to safety in 2009. -- Jeff White

 

UVa Insider, The Column
Continued speculation about the possibility that Vic Hall will play quarterback has added to the suspense surrounding Saturday’s football game between Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Much as I hate to admit, the first time I heard of a Hall-at-quarterback scenario was when Roanoke radio host Greg Roberts floated the idea Monday.

Roberts’ area of expertise is Virginia Tech, but while he is not well-connected at UVa, he is a Western Albemarle High School graduate who still has friends and family in the community.

Any time that a Virginia player gets arrested, Roberts seems to know about it. You could almost say that he lives for it.

In any case, I’ve been skeptical about the Hall rumors because UVa coach Al Groh has for so long resisted the opportunity to use Hall at the position where he set most of the state records for total offense and passing yardage.

Hall was rated the No. 9 quarterback prospect in the country coming out of Gretna High School in 2005, according to SuperPrep magazine. No other Virginia quarterback signee has been ranked higher than Hall in the 25 years or so that SuperPrep has picked All-America teams.

(NOTE: I cover the state of Virginia for SuperPrep but do not participate in the All-America rankings).

Hall, of course, was moved to cornerback on the eve of Virginia’s trip to Boston College in his freshman year and has played only briefly on offense. He held for placements in 2007, when he had a 4-yard touchdown run on a fake field against Pittsburgh, and he lined up in the backfield against Connecticut and completed a 35-yard pass to Chris Gorham.

It’s hard to say that coach Al Groh has mistreated Hall, a redshirt junior who has started games at cornerback over the past two seasons. In addition, Hall has been UVa’s primary punt returner since early in the 2007 season.

Groh has been unfailing in his praise of Hall, almost to the point of going overboard. When Groh continues to point out what a dependable player Hall is, it’s almost as if he’s validating the decision not to play Hall at quarterback.

That’s why I find it difficult to believe Groh will use Hall at quarterback. What if Hall were to account for a couple of touchdowns, running and passing, and generally put on a show similar to his weekly Gretna High School performances. How would Groh look then?

While Groh is well-respected as a defensive gameplanner, he has performed other aspects of his job with such aplomb that he twice has been selected ACC coach of the year. However, in eight years he’s never shown an eagerness to admit, “I was wrong.”.

So, how could Groh use Hall without inviting second-guessing? The most likely scenario would be to give Hall a role similar to the one that 6-foot-3, 280-pound ex-Oscar Smith quarterback Greg Boone fills at Tech. Boone usually lines up at tight end and would never be mistaken for Hall, a 5-9, 190-pounder, but occasionally Boone lines up at quarterback and takes deep snaps.

Boone hasn’t attempted a pass, although the Hokies profess to have some passing plays in his “package.” Tech refers to it as the “Wild Turkey” formation and it’s not uncommon in college football, going by a variety of names. In fact, Virginia running back Mikell Simpson took some direct snaps early in the season and ran the ball from shotgun formation.

Simpson is out for the season with a broken collarbone but Virginia probably has retained the direct snaps in its playbook. It’s not inconceivable that Hall could take some direct snaps but I can’t imagine him throwing the ball. His pass to Chris Gorham in last year’s UVa-UConn game was not a thing of beauty.

Besides, as the Cavaliers’ de-facto defensive coordinator, Groh may not feel he can sacrifice Hall at cornerback. UVa has two promising young corners in sophomore Ras-I Dowling and redshirt freshman Chase Minnifield but the Cavaliers frequently line up in “nickel” and “dime” packages that feature Hall, Dowling, Minnifield and true freshman Rodny McLeod.

Count me among those who wouldn’t be surprised to see Hall line up on offense, but I don’t see him impacting the game with his arm.

-- DOUG DOUGHTY

 

His first dream sacked
Virginia's Clint Sintim is making a name for himself at linebacker, but he once hoped to be the next Emmitt Smith.
By NORM WOOD | 247-4642
November 25, 2008

As running back Emmitt Smith churned out yards for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1990s, a little boy in Woodbridge stared intently at his television screen, convinced if he studied Smith hard enough he could one day be just like him.

There wasn't much about the linebacker position that intrigued the young Clint Sintim. His dreams of becoming the next Emmitt Smith quickly faded away when he settled in at defensive end at Gar-Field High. Sintim didn't realize his potential at linebacker until he got to the University of Virginia (5-6 overall, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Now, he's set to play his last regular-season game Saturday at archrival Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3), which will earn the ACC's Coastal Division title with a win. Sintim laughs when he thinks about how he used to cozy up to the TV and worship the soft blue-and-silver glow of Smith's image. It's a self-assured chuckle, a nod to past memories for a man completely comfortable with the immense impact he made from an outside linebacker spot at U.Va.

"I thought I was going to be a great running back," said Sintim, who is tied for second with former Heritage High student Darryl Blackstock on U.Va.'s career sacks list with 27. "That didn't work out."

Truth be told, Sintim has achieved more at linebacker than he probably could've ever done at running back. He leads all linebackers in the nation this season with 11 sacks, following up a junior season in which he also led all linebackers with nine sacks. He had nine sacks in the middle of this season during a five-game span.

At 6-foot-3 and 254 pounds, Sintim has a body that could be considered prototypical rush linebacker material in the National Football League. Sintim is projected by nfldraftscout.com to be a first- or second-round selection.

"He's kind of what every team that runs a 3-4 defense looks for in a defensive player because he's so versatile," said an NFL scout from an American Football Conference team who asked not to be identified. "He puts (offensive) linemen in negative situations with his speed … Watch how he adjusts to the ways teams try to neutralize him and you'll see what I mean."

It was that aptitude that impressed U.Va. coach Al Groh. Groh knew early on in Sintim's career he was dealing with a player who was able to make adjustments on the fly, a characteristic that separates quick-thinking and quick-playing athletes from the rest of the pack.

"It was the last part of his sophomore season," Groh said. "In the beginning, he was just dealing with trying to get the assignments down from the outset. There wasn't too much room for spontaneity. It was just learn what his job was. Then, as he began to learn how to do his job more and he (could) more quickly recognize what the offense was doing, he started to flow a little bit more quickly. Right now, we have a great deal of confidence in the on-field decisions he makes and we give him the latitude to do that."

Sintim has started every game since the start of his redshirt freshman season, a team-high stretch of 48 consecutive games. To this day, he still is stunned he played at all in 2005 as a redshirt freshman. He didn't think he was ready. After making the transition from defensive end to linebacker, his learning curve was steep as he got used to playing in a 3-4 for the first time.

"I can actually watch NFL games now with teams that play 3-4 defenses and see how somebody is out of position, or see the mismatches because I've been coached so well," Sintim said.

Sintim said he was drawn to U.Va. because he wanted the chance to play for Groh, who had coached former NFL linebackers such as Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks. Sintim turned down scholarship offers from Virginia Tech and Maryland. He admits not being much of a U.Va. fan growing up. Though he insists he wasn't a Tech fan, he refuses to identify what school he followed most as a child.

"I'd rather not say," Sintim said. "I had a lot of teams that I liked. Virginia wasn't one of them."

There doesn't seem to be any sign of arrogance in Sintim's attitude, and no lack of appreciation for what it took to get to this point. He still remembers being a self-described "clumsy" defensive end in high school. He can recall the exact day he broke his leg in a basketball game in his senior year at Gar-Field: Jan. 13, 2004.

Even when he thinks about what kind of legacy he'll leave behind at U.Va., he downplays his role. He refers to players such as tight end John Phillips and running back Cedric Peerman as better ambassadors for the team.

"That means a lot for people to look at me and say I represent Virginia football in the right way," Sintim said. "I kind of always felt like I belonged here. Even though I waited it out (to announce the college decision late in his senior year), I might've just wanted some attention. In the back of my mind, I always knew I was going to end up here when it all came down to it. I couldn't have made a better choice."

 

Groh dissects the ACC
Following up on yesterday's post regarding the indecipherable ACC football race ...

During his weekly news conference this afternoon, I asked Virginia coach Al Groh if, with one week remaining in the regular season, he could identify the conference's best team.

"No," he said immediately.

And why no?

"I don't mean this to be negative towards any player," he said. "(But) look at the 12 teams in the conference and tell me which team we know the quarterback's going to be red-hot tomorrow."

Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times mentioned North Carolina State freshman Russell Wilson, who has an astonishing ratio of 14 touchdown passes to one interception.

"He's the closest thing to it," Groh said. "But it took awhile. With few exceptions throughout the conference the quarterback play is very unpredictable from week-to-week. Therefore, the results for that team are very unpredictable. ...

"There are no Sam Bradfords or Graham Harrells throwing the ball in this league."

Groh is spot-on.

Clemson's Cullen Harper, Virginia's Marc Verica, Virginia tech's Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon, Boston College's Chris Crane and Miami's Robert Marve have more interceptions than touchdown passes. Thaddeus Lewis boasts a 14-5 TD-interception ratio, but the poor guy plays for Duke. Maryland's Chris Turner and Florida State's Christian Ponder have one more TD than pick, while Georgia Tech option quarterback Josh Nesbitt has been fumble prone.

One encouraging thought: Glennon, Crane and Harper are the only seniors.

Posted by David Teel
 

Peerman provides stiff test for Hokies
By Nathan Warters
Published: November 26, 2008

BLACKSBURG —Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman is a senior, but Virginia Tech has seen very little of him in person.

Peerman, a William Campbell grad, missed last season’s game with a foot injury, and played sparingly in 2005 and 06.

His career line against Virginia Tech includes no carries, one catch for zero yards and three kickoff returns for 63 yards.

The Hokies will see a lot more of him Saturday. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound Peerman leads the Hoos with 707 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The Cavaliers could have the advantage of surprise, considering the Hokies haven’t seen much of one of their best offensive players.

“It would be an advantage for us if he was over on the sideline,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said with a chuckle. “He’s a heck of a back.”

The Hokies may not have seen much of Peerman in person, but they’ve watched a lot of film of him recently. Tech defensive end Orion Martin said one of the tailback’s best assets is his stiff-arm.

“He uses that stiff-arm, and he can get four or five yards after that,” Martin said. “It’s strength and it’s timing. You have to have a lot of power to push somebody off if they’re coming at you full speed. Yeah, he’s a powerful running back.”

10 years later …

Virginia’s last win at Virginia Tech came in 1998, and it was one of the most memorable games in the series.

The Hokies led 29-7 at halftime, but the Cavaliers came back to win 36-32. Quarterback Aaron Brooks tossed a 47-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Hawkins with just over two minutes to play.

The thing that Beamer most remembers about that 1998 Hokies team was its ability to bounce back from losses.

Tech lost three games that year, including a monumental home setback to Temple and an excruciating 28-26 loss at Syracuse where Donovan McNabb completed a 13-yard game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Stephen Brominski as time expired.

The Hokies came back and won after each of those losses.

“We had about three or four lousy losses, but every time, the team came back,” Beamer said. “I think this team right here is kind of like that. We had some tough losses, had a chance to win every game we’ve lost. But they come back, and they play hard. Don’t always play well, but we play hard.”

Reunited

Tech redshirt freshman wide receiver Danny Coale and Virginia redshirt freshman quarterback Warner Blunt were teammates and roommates at Episcopal High School, a boarding school in Alexandria.

According to Virginia’s media guide, Blunt’s mother, father and two sisters all graduated from UVa.

There hasn’t been much trash-talking yet between the two friends. Coale said he texted Blunt earlier in the week and that he planned on calling his former teammate sometime before the game.

Extra points

Beamer, a defensive back for the Hokies from 1966-68, made his first college start against Virginia in 1966 and helped Tech to a 24-7 win in Charlottesville. UVa coach Al Groh also played in the series as a defensive lineman for the Cavaliers from 1963-65. … The Hokies are 5-0 at home this season. They’re looking to go undefeated and untied at Lane Stadium for just the eighth time since the stadium opened in 1965. … Tech has held UVa to 10 points combined in the last two games in Blacksburg. … For the first time since 1992, both Virginia Tech and Virginia are unranked entering their game. … Redshirt freshman tailback Darren Evans needs 74 rushing yards to become the first Tech freshman to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

 

Peerman hands out his thanks
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 27, 2008

Year after year, Cedric Peerman and approximately 40 family members would gather at his grandmother’s house in Gladys for a Thanksgiving extravaganza.

With too many people present to hold the feast inside the home, Peerman and others would empty out the garage to make way for tables and ample portions of food.

It is a fitting holiday in Peerman’s eyes, a day to proclaim what you are thankful for. That’s a practice that comes natural for a college running back that doubles as an ordained minister.

This afternoon, alongside his teammates, Peerman will gather inside John Paul Jones Arena for what will be his final Thanksgiving meal at the University of Virginia.

Although the potential looms that Saturday’s contest at Virginia Tech is the last of his career, Peerman said it has not hit him yet. Instead, the Cavaliers’ leading running back is enjoying what he has been blessed with during a career that included numerous injuries, 1,682 rushing yards, 64 receptions and 16 touchdowns.

“I came in seeing the videos during my recruiting and people would always say this was the best four or five years of my life. And I was like, ‘Can it really be that good? Are you serious? Come on now,’” Peerman recounted. “But it really has been. To look back on my time at Virginia, it really has been.

“It’s been the most fun, the most fulfilling time of my life. There have been a lot of difficult times, some of the most difficult times of my life, but some of the most rewarding times, too.”

Peerman, who ranks No. 20 all-time in program history in rushing yardage, is also thankful for the coaches he has worked with, most notably head coach Al Groh.

On Monday, Groh will learn if athletic director Craig Littleage will add an additional year to a contract that extends to Dec. 31, 2011. And while it appeared at points over the past two seasons that Groh could even be terminated, Peerman has watched Groh persevere.

“The way Coach really balances everything and handles everything is just amazing to me,” Peerman said. “I know he has a lot of experience in doing it, so that helps, but still it has got to one of the most stressful jobs in the country being a football coach of a college team.

“I don’t know how he does it. If I have a 15-hour day I am just dead. He just gets it done.”
Peerman is also thankful for a youthful offensive line that has struggled at times to create holes for the bruising back to burst through. While he could point fingers and shift blame, Peerman takes ownership for inefficiencies in a running game that ranks No. 114 nationally has produced only 84 yards in the past two games.

“I really think as a running back sometimes I know I have a tendency to create something out of nothing, something that isn’t there. Sometimes you just have to put your head down instead of trying to bounce it outside,” Peerman said. “I have tried to bounce it outside a lot this year. Instead of doing that you just have to take it for what it’s worth, sort of live to play another day, just get back to the line of scrimmage, and it’s something that I recognize that I need to do.”

Credit should go to opponents, too, according to Peerman.
“When we were on the winning streak we ran the ball pretty well, I thought. When you start improving, when you start doing better a lot of teams get a little bit more amped up, the defenses get a little bit more amped up because they know there is a challenge. We just have to rise to that challenge and be able to compete at a higher level than we did the previous week.”

Peerman is also thankful for quarterback Marc Verica, who jumped from fourth on the depth chart to starting status after Jameel Sewell was suspended from school for a year and Pete Lalich was booted from the football team.

Despite six crippling turnovers in Virginia’s past two games, Verica has impressed, remaining confident in practice.
“You have to have a short memory,” said Peerman, who has two turnovers this season, a pair of fumbles. “You can’t let that get into your long-term memory frame. You have to have a short memory and be able to forget about it.

“There’s nothing you can do. It’s not like you can go back and change what happened in the past. You just have to realize that you can master the present and you can be successful right now in whatever your present situation is. It’s how you take it from there.”

Peerman has not relayed the message to Verica, but he said he has spoken to a host of talented running backs waiting in the wings for his departure, a group that includes Mikell Simpson, Keith Payne, Raynard Horne, Max Milien and Torrey Mack.

He can certainly relate to their varying positions - Peerman was forced to wait his turn behind Wali Lundy and Jason Snelling.

“I share my experiences with those guys because early on in my career I was going through a tough time dealing with injuries and things like that,” Peerman said. “I try to share that with those guys so they see that their situation is not as bad as they may think, and maybe if they see that I overcame it then they can.”

As a fan favorite, Peerman would love nothing better than to give back to the supporters that he will always remain thankful for. Registering an upset win at Virginia Tech would do the trick, something Peerman nor any other current Cavalier has experienced.

Regardless, Peerman said he will walk away from Virginia with his head held high – and for good reason.
“When I look back over the past five years, all the things that I have been through, the Lord has certainly blessed me through good times and bad times,” he said. “He has been very merciful to me. I am just thankful to be at this point. This season, the things that it’s brought, I am still thankful for and still very humbled by everything that has happened over the past five years.

“I am just very thankful and excited for what he has done in my life.”