Penn State football safeties coach and interim co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter had an outstanding college career.

A former Virginia safety, Poindexter played for the Cavaliers from 1995-98. He was an All-American and one of the country’s best at his position. All signs pointed toward him having a successful NFL career after his junior season, but he stayed at Virginia for one more year.

That senior season ended Poindexter’s hopes of being an NFL great. A tackle in a game against NC State cost Poindexter his ACL and his draft stock plummeted. After hearing his name called late in the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Poindexter was out of the league three season later.

Two decades later, Poindexter is still a legend of the college game he once graced. He was a 2020 inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame while coaching Purdue. Three years later, now at Penn State, he was able to relive his glory days when the Nittany Lions took a trip to the College Football Hall of Fame during the leadup to the Peach Bowl.

“It’s humbling,” Poindexter said Thursday. “I really don’t talk about my career or talk about my playing days. If the kids ask, I tell them, but most of them these days don’t want to ask.”

Poindexter said Penn State players played his highlights while on the tour and he got questions about his playing days. Poindexter said he doesn’t like to talk about his time at Virginia, but he allow a few questions from the group.

If anything, Poindexter may have earned a little more respect from the group. Defensive players mentioned how cool it was to see Poindexter in the Hall of Fame and have a moment to appreciate him.

“I don’t know if they really thought I could play or not. I really don’t tell them. So maybe now they’ll think I can play a little bit,” Poindexter said. “It was a humbling experience, and then to get to share it with these guys made it that much more special.”