Peerman cautiously bouncing back

By Andy Bitter

Published: April 7, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Most of the players had already headed to the locker room following Virginia’s football practice on Sunday, but there stood Cedric Peerman, on two healthy feet, politely answering a litany of injury-related questions that had to have been growing tiresome.

Linebacker Clint Sintim, a curious onlooker, took the chance to stump on his teammate’s behalf for a few 2008 awards.

“Cedric Peerman for Heisman!” he yelled over the chain-link fence surrounding the practice field, earning guffaws from those within earshot. “Doak Walker Award winner! Unanimous decision! Number 37!”

The Heisman might be shooting a bit high. For now, the Cavaliers are just happy to have Peerman back.

The former William Campbell standout is slowly but surely returning from a Lisfranc foot injury that caused him to miss the final six regular-season games of 2007 and the Gator Bowl. The rising senior has been limited in his return after having surgery in November, participating in enough drills to knock off the rust.

“I’m going to do as much as I can,” Peerman said. “But at the same time, like coach (Al) Groh told me the other day, the spring game isn’t going to be the Rose Bowl. … It’s about getting healthy and not regressing.”

A healthy Peerman is good news for the Cavaliers. Peerman led the ACC with 585 rushing yards through 5 1/2 games before going down in the second quarter at Middle Tennessee with a foot injury. He walked off the field, thinking it was not serious. After 20 minutes, it swelled up considerably, giving Peerman cause for concern.

The diagnosis was severe: a Lisfranc injury. An MRI revealed a torn ligament in his mid foot and a partially dislocated first metatarsal, the bone behind the big toe.

Several prominent NFL running backs have returned from such an injury, most notably Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook and Detroit’s Kevin Jones, but Peerman asked his cousin — former NFL player Donald Jones — to make a few calls about the injury to put his mind at ease.

The surgery wasn’t the worst part. It was the waiting and the watching.

“It was pretty frustrating. I’m not going to lie,” Peerman said. “I love football. I love coming out and playing, and not being able to be out here with my teammates hurt really bad. But at the same time, I really thank God. I needed this whole process to really humble me and set my path straight.”

Peerman needed crutches for a month after surgery, during which doctors inserted a metal wire to stabilize his foot (“I don’t think I can make it through a metal detector anymore,” he joked). By the time the Gator Bowl rolled around, he was crutch free. He participated in UVa’s offseason program, but until two weeks ago he hadn’t been on a football field.

All of the medical reports said Peerman would be back, but seeing him make seamless, pain-free cuts on his foot was still reassuring to the coaches.

“That’s like some guy telling you, if you invest with me, it’s going to go up 20 percent,” Groh said. “And you believe him, but you’re still waiting for the money in your pocket. Well that’s what it sort of is with some of these medical prognoses. We believe them, but until a player actually comes back and functions, you’re always anxious for that.”

Peerman’s return makes for a crowded backfield, a welcome situation considering tailback was one of UVa’s biggest question marks a year ago.

Rising junior Mikell Simpson emerged in Peerman’s absence. Combined, the two ran for 1,185 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 55 passes for another 501 yards last season.

Better yet, they complement each other. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Simpson is a shifty back who can run away from defenses (witness his 96-yard touchdown run in the Gator Bowl). The 5-foot-10, 208-pound Peerman is a workhorse, able to handle 30 carries in a game.

Peerman earned universal respect from his teammates for the effort he put into all of his carries last season. After four months away from the game, that’s definitely not going to change.

“It just goes to show that you can’t take this game for granted,” Peerman said. “You never know when your last play could be.”