Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Back
Years: 1995-1998
Place of Birth: Lynchburg, VA
Date of Birth: July 28, 1976
Jersey Number: 3
Height: 6-1
Weight: 220
High School: Jefferson Forest HS (Forest, VA)
Regarded as one of the fiercest hitters in the game during his career, Anthony Poindexter ranks among the best defensive backs in Virginia history. The Lynchburg, Virginia, native becomes the fifth Cavalier player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Just the second player in UVA history to be a two-time First Team All-American, Poindexter garnered consensus honors after his senior campaign. The 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year was a finalist for both the Thorpe and Nagurski Awards while playing for College Football Hall of Fame coach George Welsh. After guiding UVA to a share of the 1995 conference title and earning Honorable Mention All-ACC accolades, Poindexter would go on to become just the third Cavalier to be named a three-time First Team All-ACC selection. A two-time team captain, he was named a co-recipient of the 1998 Brian Piccolo Award as the ACC's most courageous football player
A Second Team All-American in 1996, Poindexter led Virginia to three bowl games, including a win in the 1995 Peach Bowl. Named the 1997 Dudley Award winner as the best player in the state of Virginia, he owns the school record with seven career fumble recoveries while his 342 career tackles are the second most all-time among Cavalier defensive backs. A two-time recipient of the Ned McDonald Award as UVA's most outstanding defensive player, Poindexter owns the school single-game record for assisted tackles (14 vs. Virginia Tech in 1996) while sharing the single-game marks for interceptions (3 vs. NC State in 1996) and fumble recoveries (2 vs. Georgia Tech in 1997 and again vs. Duke in 1998). A member of the ACC All-Academic Team as a junior, his No. 3 jersey was retired by the Cavaliers in 2009.
A seventh-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, Poindexter played for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns during three seasons in the league. During the 2000 season, he played in 10 games for the Ravens on the way to their victory in Super Bowl XXXV.
Following his NFL career, Poindexter spent 11 seasons on the coaching staff at his alma mater, starting as a graduate assistant and ending his Virginia tenure as safeties coach in 2013. After serving as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Connecticut (2014-16) and Purdue (2017-20), he is entering his first season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State in 2021.
