Pastor Peerman: Virginia back’s higher power

By Jay Jenkins

Published: August 1, 2008

In a perfect world, Cedric Peerman would have duplicated his first-half success over the final seven games last season.

Virginia’s bruising tailback churned out 585 yards on the ground in six early-season contests, a pace that, had he sustained it, would have given him the fifth-best season in UVa history.

Eclipsing the 1,000-yard barrier, which has been broken only 13 times in program history, would have placed Peerman in nearly every national award’s watch list.

The school-issued paraphernalia sent to encourage voting for the 21-year-old graduate student could have included numerous catchy slogans, which now could include: Pastor Peerman.

In July, Peerman was ordained as a minister at Charlottesville’s Mt. Zion First African Church.

“It has been a process of seeking out God for a long time,” Peerman said. “I was pretty much raised in a church and I have always been a Christian and followed God.”

Peerman, who remains a member of his home church in his hometown of Gladys, developed and maintains a close relationship with Dr. Earl Pendleton, who is the assistant to the pastor at Mt. Zion. Despite that bond, Peerman said it was ultimately his decision.

“When you get ordained as a minister, it is not something that is presented to you — no one asks you,” he explained. “It is a direct call from God himself. It could be a number of things. It could be a feeling.

“A lot of ministers who have been called have interesting stories — they have dreams, they wake up preaching. It was just a process for me over the course of my life, I guess.”

Peerman said becoming ordained would not change his style on the football field or his personality in the team’s locker room, which boasts numerous Christians. That is important, he said, to ensure that religious tensions don’t crop up among 100-plus players from all walks of life.

“We are not trying to be divisive or anything like that,” Peerman said. “It is just what we believe, and we are not trying to force anybody because if you force somebody to believe what you believe, then I don’t think they really believe it anyway.

“It is completely open — if you want to come pray with us, come pray with us. If you want to come to Bible study, come to Bible study. Being a Christian, coming to God is a choice for yourself that you, yourself, have to make. Everyone has to make it — some people do, some people don’t. That’s just how it is.”

Peerman credits his devout faith with helping him battle through his troubling time last season. In the first half of the Cavaliers’ sixth game, a road win at Middle Tennessee State, he suffered a Lisfranc foot injury that required surgery.

While he was limited in spring practice and did not play in the annual spring game, Peerman said his foot is “100 percent” and he expects to retake his spot as the team’s top kick returner and split carries with junior tailback Mikell Simpson.

“I am ready to go,” he said. “I have been ready to go for a while.”

An even dozen

Virginia, picked by the media to finish fifth in the ACC’s Coastal Division, received 12 votes in the preseason USA Today Top 25 coaches’ poll, which was released Friday.

There were 37 teams that received more votes that the Cavaliers, including four of their opponents (No. 2 Southern Cal, No. 9 Clemson, No. 15 Virginia Tech and No. 23 Wake Forest).

Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina and Georgia Tech also received votes.

It marked the first time the Cavaliers had received votes in the preseason poll since 2005.

Extra points

Jared Green, a redshirt freshman, is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, today. The wide receiver will introduce his father, former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, at today’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. … Three open practice times have been announced for Virginia’s upcoming training camp. The public is invited to attend on Aug. 9 (8:35 a.m.), Aug. 14 (5 p.m.) and Aug. 16 (8:35 a.m.). Virginia’s annual Meet the Team Day will be held Aug. 10 at Scott Stadium at 3 p.m. and last 75 minutes. Gates open at 2 p.m. … The team will report to the team hotel Sunday and will open practice on Monday.