Cedric Peerman, RB

Chances for a Cavalier running back being noticed by NFL teams when your team finishes 100th in the nation in rushing in 2006, 79th in 2007 and 108th in 2009 are understandably slim, at best. But after professional scouts missed the boat on North Carolina's Willie Parker (Pittsburgh) several years ago, they were not about to let another underrated Atlantic Coast Conference running back go unnoticed. Peerman might have only started 18 games at Virginia during his career due to injuries, but many opposing defensive coordinators agree he ranks with the elite runners in the league.

Peerman had to patiently wait his turn behind Jason Snelling, now a fullback for the Atlanta Falcons, before being given an opportunity to start in 2007. He piled up 585 yards by the midseason point, but an ankle and foot injury vs. Middle Tennessee State sent the Cavalier tailback to the operating table and then to the sidelines, standing around on crutches while watching Mikell Simpson seize his starting position.

Peerman was limited in 2008 spring drills, but returned fully recovered by fall camp to reclaim his starting job as a senior. Leg problems again forced him to sit out one game, but after a rough first part of the season, he would go on to lead the team in rushing and receiving an earn an invitation to compete with the rest of the country's elite prospects at the 2009 Senior Bowl.

At William Campbell High School, Peerman was a standout two-way player during his four-year career and further displayed his athletic ability as a state champion sprinter. The Prep Star All-American compiled several of the top offensive totals in state history. He scored a state-record 708 points and ranks second in state history with 112 touchdowns.

The two-time All-State choice gained 5,078 yards rushing and added 787 yards receiving, producing five 300-yard games and 23 100-yard games on the ground. The state Player of the Year as a senior, he rushed 222 times for 2,016 yards and 43 touchdowns and also caught 12 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns while having a kickoff return for another score. He led the state with 45 touchdowns, while his 280 points are the third-highest total in state history.

Peerman earned first-team All-State, All-Region and All-District honors as a junior, as he ran for 2,048 yards and 43 touchdowns, and caught 22 passes for 367 yards and seven more scores as his team won the state championship. He rushed for 317 yards and scored a state-record seven touchdowns in the state title game. As a sophomore, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards after moving from wide receiver to running back midway through the season.

Peerman was a standout sprinter and long jumper on the track team. He was the state champion in the 100 meters as a junior and senior and also placed fourth in the long jump and triple jump, and eighth in the shot put to lead his school to state championship as a senior. He also started on the basketball team. As a senior, he received the DAR Good Citizen Award for the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

In 2004, Peerman enrolled at Virginia, where he suited up for six games, but did not play, retaining freshman eligibility. Despite starting just the Syracuse clash in 2005, he ranked sixth among Atlantic Coast Conference first-year players with 237 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries (3.4 avg). With the special teams struggling, he took over kickoff return duties later in the year, ranking second in the league and 22nd nationally with a 25.8-yard average on 21 runbacks.

Peerman again caddied for Jason Snelling in 2006, appearing in 12 games. He had just 46 rushing attempts, good for 153 yards, having his best production on kickoff returns. He averaged a career-best 27.3 yards on 19 returns, ranking 12th in the nation in that category.

With Snelling having left for the National Football League, Peerman moved into the starting lineup in 2007. Through the first six games, he rushed for 585 yards on 113 tries, including five touchdowns, leading the team despite missing the final six games. His injury vs. Middle Tennessee forced him to the sidelines after he underwent Lisfranc foot surgery.

Foot problems continued early in 2008 (unrelated to his previous injury), as Peerman started 10 times in 2008. The All-ACC honorable mention finished with a career-high 774 yards on 153 attempts (5.1 avg), scoring seven times on the ground. He also hauled in 44 passes for 193 yards (4.4 avg) and averaged 21.6 yards on five kickoff returns. He closed out his final campaign with 1,075 all-purpose yards.

Positives: Short, thick build that appears capable of handling NFL punishment. Quick to the hole. Good lateral agility to make defenders miss. Runs with surprising authority. Can bounce to the outside and has the burst to get to the second level. Might lack elite stopwatch speed, but plays fast and can pull away in the open field. Soft hands out of the backfield. High effort player who makes those around him better.

Negatives: Lacks the bulk teams are looking for in a bell-cow runner. May have to be a change of pace back in the NFL due to his struggles in staying healthy. Missed second half of 2007 with Lisfranc surgery on his right foot and missed time last season with a bruised knee. Very small hands, which scouts fear will lead to fumbles. Didn't help his cause in this area with a fumble during the Senior Bowl.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.2

Body Structure: Peerman has a shorter-than ideal frame with very small hands. He has a tight build with good muscle development, good width to his shoulders and chest, tight waist, cut/muscular legs, but limited room for further growth without impacting his timed speed.

Athletic Ability: Peerman has outstanding timed speed, but it does not always translate to the field, as he has a bit of a hitch coming out of his stance, preventing him from generating good explosion into the holes. His hands are extremely small and durability is a major concern, as he has battled with foot problems the last two years. He is a small, but well-built athlete who is a shifty runner with good hands as a receiver. He has good quickness and balance, but lacks the suddenness or change of direction skills to bounce the ball wide for big runs (only four runs for more than 20 yards as a senior). He has the body control to be very effective catching passes out of the backfield or in the slot, making him a possible better prospect for the receiving unit. Simply put, while he looks the part of a decent athlete with great timed speed, he fails to utilize those skills to produce big numbers on the football field. GRADE: 6.0

Football Sense: Peerman is a good learner and a tireless worker. He has the ability to digest a complicated playbook and will not have problems with the mental aspect of the game. GRADE: 6.3

Character: He is a player whose work ethic and character is unquestioned. Everyone you talk to says that he is well-spoken, respected by the team and staff, mentally tough, a leader by example and a good student with no off-field issues. GRADE: 6.4

Competitiveness: For a player with his strength and timed speed, you would figure that he would be more productive with the ball in his hands. He is mentally tough, but his durability is questionable and 1,779 yards rushing in 42 games (42.66 ypg) is not the makings of a first-team running back. He has enough strength and tenacity to face up to the larger defenders as a blocker and shows good leg drive to generate the power needed to break arm tackles, but needs to use his athletic tools more often. GRADE: 6.0

Work Habits: Peerman is a good program player who filled in capably as a kickoff returner waiting for his starting opportunity. He is first and foremost team oriented and very coachable. He takes a lot of pride in his work habits and served as a good team captain, leading by example. GRADE: 6.3

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.73

Initial Quickness: Peerman has the timed speed to get a quick start to the hole, but has a bit of a hitch in his start (hops up a bit in his stance) that erases some of his explosiveness. He is better running straight ahead, as he does struggle with his balance when having to suddenly redirect or bounce to the outside. He does not show quick cut ability in the open, which negates his speed, especially when he has to gear down and start up again. GRADE: 5.8

Acceleration/Burst: Peerman has the speed to make the initial tackler miss, but you just don't see him selling his moves or generating a sudden burst to escape. He looks inconsistent coming out of his cuts, as he is not going to sell his routes and get behind the defensive back to settle in the soft area of the zone (caught 44 passes in 2008, but only six were for longer than 10 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per catch). GRADE: 5.7

Instincts/Balance: Peerman has the vision to locate threats, but needs to stay on the hip of his blockers better, as he sometimes outruns his coverage. He does a good job of squaring his shoulders and lowering his pads to break arm tackles. His strong legs help him get through trash and he does run with good authority, also demonstrating good ball security (two fumbles in 2008 came on poor handoffs from the QB). GRADE: 6.3

Inside Running: Peerman might have great timed speed, but it does not translate to the field consistently. However, his frame is also built for power, and he does fairly well moving the ball inside. He is not a player that will run over the larger defenders, but he is tough and feisty taking the ball up the gut to get good yardage after initial contact. He keeps his legs churning through the holes, but will get pushed back often when he gets too upright in his stance (20.92 percent of his runs resulted in lost or no yardage in 2008 - 32 of 153 attempts). GRADE: 6.2

Outside Running: This is where Peerman needs to be more productive. He is blessed with that rare speed runners can only hope for, but fails to generate the second gear to escape when bouncing wide. He is much better running between tackles, as he might win a few track meets, but he isn't a shifty runner with the burst and acceleration to turn the corner. He has good vision and adequate speed to gain yardage working around the edge. GRADE: 5.0

Elusiveness: Peerman has that make them miss type of timed speed, but does not show the body torso or hip wiggle to elude when turning the corner. He shows the vision to avoid, but you just don't see him make the jump cut. He is better using his speed to break free through the pile playing in between tackles. GRADE: 5.2

Tackle-Breaking Strength: When Peerman stays low in his pads, his balance and leg drive gets him good success in breaking tackles. He will rarely get knocked back when he keeps his pad level down. His problems occur when he too high in his stance, as he gets narrow and the result is that bigger defenders can engulf him, as he does lack the ideal size to move the chains. But, he has more strength than most small backs and shows a good burst and power behind his runs, using his leg drive to break tackles when he generates a lower center of gravity. GRADE: 6.4

Tendency to Fumble: Peerman had good ball security most of last season, but his fumbles vs. Miami and Wake Forest proved costly, as the Hurricanes converted the turnover into a game-winning drive and Wake Forest also converted its for a score. He does not have a fumble issue, though, protecting the ball well, especially when taking it through the wedge as a kickoff returner. GRADE: 6.0

Receiving Skills: Virginia seems to have a KISS attitude when it comes to using its backs in passing situations - keep it simple and short. Peerman has very small hands (8 inches), which is a concern for a few NFL teams. He has natural pass catching ability and uses his leaping ability to get to the ball at its high point (none of the passes thrown to him were deflected in 2008). He might be better served as a change of pace, third-down back or a slot receiver due to his pass catching skills. The only concern is his lack of production on his 44 grabs (10 first downs and just a 4.4-yard average). GRADE: 6.3

Route Running: This is a tough area to grade Peerman in, as most of his passes were on screens or flares. He needs to be more explosive getting into his patterns, but there is enough here to utilize him as a third-down back. GRADE: 5.4

Blocking Ability: Even with his impressive weight room numbers, Peerman fails to generate much force behind his hand punch. There is nothing special in his blocking at this at this point, as he needs to generate better hip snap to get into the defender. GRADE: 4.8

Compares To: JOSH SCOBEY, ex-Seattle -- Like Scobey, the football gods blessed Peerman with great speed, but with just marginal production on the football field. His strength makes him an efficient inside runner, but he has problems generating the burst needed to be effective taking the ball to the corners. Like Scobey, the one good value right now might be on the kickoff return unit.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.80

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Peerman started 18 of 41 games at Virginia, gaining 3,349 all-purpose yards on 382 carries for 1,749 yards (4.58 avg) and 15 touchdowns, adding 344 yards with a score on 67 receptions (5.13 avg) and 1,256 yards on 50 kickoff returns (25.12 avg) … Ranks 10th in school history in all-purpose yardage, surpassing Jerrod Washington (3,274 yards, 1990-93) … His career-long 79-yard rushing attempt vs. East Carolina in 2008 tied Ray Brown (vs. Hampden-Sydney, 1946) and Barry Word (vs. Georgia Tech, 1985) for the seventh-longest run from scrimmage in school annals … The team compiled an 11-2 record in games in which Peerman had at least 15 rushing attempts … Became the 36th player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a career.

Peerman learned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention, as he led the team with a career-high 774 yards on 153 carries (5.1 avg) with seven touchdowns, as his average of 70.36 yards per game rushing ranked fourth in the ACC … Finished third on the squad with 44 receptions for 193 yards (4.4 avg) and returned five kickoffs for 108 yards (21.6 avg) … Led the Cavaliers with 1,075 all-purpose yards, ranking ninth in the league with an average of 97.73 yards per game … Had three 100-yard rushing games … Turned the ball over twice on fumbles, was tackled for a loss on 18 carries (11.76 percent) and was stopped for no gain on 14 other attempts (9.15 percent) … Registered 40 first-down runs (26.14 percent), as he converted 7 of 16 third-down snaps (43.75 percent) … Gained at least 10 yards on twelve rushes and collected 19 positive runs inside the red zone … Helped set up eleven touchdown drives and four others that ended with field goals.

Southern California … In his first appearance in a Virginia uniform since October 16th, 2007, the tailback was held to 32 yards on eight carries and 7 yards on two catches.

Richmond … Still struggling to shake off the cobwebs, Peerman collected 60 yards on ten carries … Virginia head coach Al Groh on Cedric Peerman: "Every time he takes the field you get that type of tough performance. He took a pretty substantial hit very early in the game and it took a lot out of him but he will never lay the flag down easily."

Connecticut … Peerman found the end zone for the first time in 2008, scoring on a 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter, but managed just 4 yards on two rushes and 19 yards on three catches.

Duke … Did not play due to a foot injury.

Maryland … The Cavaliers (tailback returned to action, coming off the bench to deliver 110 yards on 17 carries and 23 yards on seven catches, but left in the third quarter due to a loss of stamina … He capped a third quarter 61-yard, 11-play series with a 9-yard touch-down run around the left side on the fourth-down play, finding room on the sidelines to dive into the end zone to complete the scoring.

East Carolina … Peerman ran for a season-high 173 yards and two long touchdowns on just sixteen attempts (10.8 avg), and Virginia turned back a second-half East Carolina rally for a 35-20 victory … Peerman's first score came on the last play of the first quarter. Virginia had done little on offense before he beat one defender to the edge, slipped a couple of tackles and raced down the right sideline 79 yards. Peerman found a gaping hole behind left tackle Eugene Monroe and was untouched to the end zone, stretching Virginia's lead to 14-6 … He later added a 60-yard scoring burst in the second stanza … In the post-game news conference coach Al Groh said, "Cedric Peerman clearly stood out on those big plays. It was a great effort plays that showed what kind of great speed he has but when a guy gets to run that far, there are a lot of awards to pass out. There were an awful lot of good blocks to get him around the end there." … Peerman was asked about his two scores and replied, "It was just a great job by the guys up front, and the wide receivers were blocking great downfield. All I had to do was run." … Record Watch: Peerman became the second player in UVa history to record two runs of 60-or-more yards (79 & 60) in the same game. The other was John Papit vs. Washington & Lee in 1948 (63 yards & 60 yards) … The last UVa player to have two runs of 50+ yards in a game was Barry Word vs. Georgia Tech in 1985 (79 and 52 yards) … Peerman set a career high with a team-leading eight receptions … His 166 rushing yards are the most against ECU since DeAngelo Williams of Memphis gained 226 during the 2005 season.

North Carolina … Peerman collected 44 yards on seventeen carries, scoring twice while coming up with three receptions for 18 yards … Trailing 10-3 with 2:18 to play, the Cavaliers began a dramatic 82-yard scoring drive that sent the game into overtime, and Peerman, who had scored in the final minute of regulation, ran in from two yards to give Virginia a 16-13 win over the Tar Heels … The tailback had previously scored on another 2-yard run with 47 seconds left in regulation and Robert Randolph's conversion was barely good to send the game into overtime.

Georgia Tech … Peerman rushed for 118 bruising yards, including the winning touchdown with 3:29 left, and Virginia won its fourth straight with a 24-17 upset of Georgia Tech … The tailback rushed 25 times and pulled in five passes for 55 yards … After Scott Blair kicked a 39-yard field goal to tie the game at 17, Virginia drove 70 yards in eight plays. Peerman got loose on a 31-yard run and finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown, lunging for the pylon with 3:29 remaining to end Georgia Tech's four-game winning streak … After the game, coach Al Groh talked about Peerman's performance, noting, "I'm almost uncomfortable talking about him, because there is nothing I can say about Cedric that would do him justice to anybody who saw it with their own eyes. His play just speaks for itself."

Miami … When Peerman was stripped of the ball on the Cavaliers' first play of overtime, the Hurricanes their fourth victory in a row -- and a spot in the tight battle for a berth in the ACC championship game … The tailback broke into open field on Virginia's first play of overtime, but Miami's Lovon Ponder caught up to him and stripped the ball away, and Bruce Johnson recovered to end it … Peerman rushed for a team-leading 78 yards on fifteen attempts and made three catches for 12 yards.

Wake Forest … Peerman was held to 43 yards rushing on twelve chances and lost a fumble as Virginia fell in Winston-Salem for the first time since 1983, when Cavaliers coach Al Groh was leading the Demon Deacons … Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry started a string of big defensive plays by stripping Peerman and recovering the fumble.

Virginia Tech … The senior tailback closed out his career with twelve carries for 67 yards in a 17-14 loss … Peerman's 16-yard run got the Cavaliers to the Hokies 31 late in the second quarter and two plays later, Vic Hall ended that 62-yard series with a 16-yard scoring run.

Peerman was having a dynamic season until injuring his right ankle and foot early in the Middle Tennessee game in Week Six and underwent surgery, missing the rest of the season … Still managed to lead the team with 585 yards and five touchdowns on 113 carries (5.2 avg) … Snatched thirteen passes for 99 yards (7.6 avg) and returned five kickoffs for 87 yards (17.4 avg), finishing with 771 all-purpose yards, as he was leading the ACC with averages of 97.5 yards rushing and 128.5 all-purpose yards at the time of his injury … Ran for over 100 yards in three of his six contests, becoming the first Cavalier since Alvin Pearman in 2004 to produced three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

Duke … Generated 137 yards on nineteen carries … Scored on a 58-yard first quarter attempt that was the Cavaliers' longest run from scrimmage since 2005.

North Carolina … Followed with 30 attempts for 186 yards (6.2 avg) and had three catches for 37 yards … Capped a 12-play, 68-yard first quarter drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge.

Georgia Tech … Added a 4-yard touchdown to end a 5-play, 81-yard first quarter series, as Peerman totaled 138 yards on 28 carries.

Pittsburgh … Picked up 24 attempts for 87 yards that included touchdowns of 1 and 13 yards.

Played in all twelve games, starting vs. Wyoming … Ranked 12th in the nation with 19 kickoff returns for 519 yards (27.3 avg) … Gained 153 yards on 46 carries (3.3 avg) and caught seven passes for 38 yards (5.4 avg).

His 62-yard kickoff return at Florida State was the team's season-best … Had four kickoff returns for 95 yards vs. East Carolina, adding a 53-yard return vs. North Carolina State to start the second half … Carried 16 times for 41 yards vs. Wyoming.

Played in all 12 games, earning his first career start vs. Syracuse … Finished with 70 carries for 237 yards (3.4 avg) and three touchdowns … Had three receptions for 14 yards (4.7 avg), including a score … Ranked 22nd in the nation with 21 kickoff returns for 542 yards (25.8 avg).

Red-shirted as a freshman … Suited up for six games, but did not play.

2007: Suffered a right ankle and foot sprain vs. Middle Tennessee (10/06) and was forced to wear a protective boot, but later in November, team doctors performed Lisfranc foot surgery that would force him to miss the final six games.

2008: Did not play vs. Duke (9/27) due to a foot sprain … Left the Maryland contest (10/04) when he lost stamina in the third quarter.

Combine: 4.34 in the 40-yard dash … 1.40 10-yard dash … 2.54 20-yard dash … 4.29 20-yard shuttle … 6.99 three-cone drill … 40-inch vertical jump … 9'9" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times … 31-inch arm length … 8-inch hands.

Attended William Campbell (Gladys, Va.) High School, playing football for head coach Brad Bradley … The Prep Star All-American compiled several of the top offensive totals in state history … Scored a state-record 708 points and ranks second in state history with 112 touchdowns … The two-time All-State choice gained 5,078 yards rushing and added 787 yards receiving, producing five 300-yard games and 23 100-yard games on the ground … The state Player of the Year as a senior, he rushed 222 times for 2,016 yards and 43 touchdowns and also caught 12 passes for 203 yards and two scores while having a kickoff return for another touchdown … Led the state with 45 touchdowns, while his 280 points are the third-highest total in state history … Earned first-team All-State, All-Region and All-District honors as a junior, as he ran for 2,048 yards and 43 touchdowns, and caught 22 passes for 367 yards and seven more scores as his team won the state championship … Rushed for 317 yards and scored a state-record seven touchdowns in the state title game … As a sophomore, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards after moving from wide receiver to running back midway through the season … Standout sprinter and long jumper on the track team … State champion in the 100 meters as a junior and senior and placed fourth in the long jump and triple jump, and eighth in the shot put to lead his school to state championship as a senior … Also started on the basketball team … As a senior, he received the DAR Good Citizen Award for the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

Graduated in May, 2008 with a degree in Sociology … Son of Melissa and Stanley Peerman … Born Cedric Edwin Peerman on 10/10/86 in Lynchburg, Virginia … Resides in Gladys, Virginia.