The power of Peerman

By Jay Jenkins

Published: October 5, 2008

In the midst of a postgame interview Saturday night, Cedric Peerman paused in the middle of a sentence, nodded and smiled as he greeted a writer he had known since his days as a high school standout.
Ever cognizant of his surroundings, it was merely Peerman being Peerman.
The senior running back had every reason to snub those in his vicinity in a chest-pounding moment.
Peerman had, in fact, just returned to the field with his teammates in his truest form for the first time this season, using 17 carries to gain 110 yards, which included a game-sealing touchdown minutes after halftime. It marked the first third quarter touchdown for the Cavaliers since the 2007.
A week prior, Peerman stood on the sidelines at Duke out of commission, nursing a knee injury.
“I kinda knew that I
wasn’t probably going to be in there, but I still prepared throughout the week and
unfortunately I wasn’t able to be a part of the [Duke] game,” Peerman said. “I sat through six or seven of them last year so I was a little bit used to it, but at the same time I knew I could have gone, but risking further injury and being out more, was it really worth it?”
To Peerman’s credit, he approached Virginia coach Al Groh in the second half of the Duke game after the Cavaliers fell behind, practically begging to play.
“He said, ‘I can do this. Put me in. Put me in,’” Groh recounted.
The coach responded: “I was like, ‘This isn’t the time. It is not worth it for you to go out there and not be able to do what you can do. This is just what nature is and sometimes we have to let it run its course.’”
Peerman, who missed seven games in 2007 with a season-ending foot injury, did not argue.
“He understood the rationale behind it,” Groh said. “I understood his wanting to step up and do something of a tangible nature for the team, but he was acceptant of it and fortunately it worked out nicely for us.”
Yes, it did work out in what could be viewed as a season-salvaging 31-0 win over Maryland, which was required after losing
back-to-back road games at Connecticut and Duke. 
Virginia (2-3, 1-1 ACC) can now return to .500 with a win Saturday at home against East Carolina, which is an early five-point favorite.
Accomplishing that feat should be easier with Peerman available as a viable offensive option.
“[Peerman] is one of our leaders, if not our best leader,” said Virginia right tackle Will Barker. “He’s going to run the ball, he’s going to run over people and he’s going to go as hard as he can every play. “Having him back, he carried the flag for us. He had a helluva game.”
Virginia wideout Kevin Ogletree, who had two touchdown receptions, said Peerman’s return to the field lifted the offense from the first play and helped buy time in some situations to free up quarterback Marc Verica to ultimately pass for 226 yards.
“Ced’s a hard-nosed guy. He runs as hard as anyone and you saw that,” Ogletree said. “It was good to see. He gave us some confidence, we started doing some things well and we were moving the ball — running it well and passing it well.”
Peerman, who often pointed to the sky after his runs to honor his religious faith, hoped his performance showcased his beliefs.
“Football is the way that God has blessed me to reach people that other people might not be able to reach,” he said. “There are a lot of kids out there that look up to athletes and look to them as role models.“I am trying to use football to be able to reach out to kids to show them a better way of living.”
It also helped Virginia leap out of the cellar in scoring offense — the Cavaliers passed two teams, now ranking No. 117 out of 119 programs.