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OCTOBER 2021 9 cavalier sports W hen Clint Sintim's professional football career ended in 2013, it was sooner than he had anticipated. He was young and still had a thirst for the game. He turned to a pair of his mentors, former UVA head coach Al Groh and his former Cavalier assistant coach Danny Rocco, for advice. He wanted to stay connected to the game, and he felt the next best thing to playing was coaching. Both provided him encouragement and advice to start his career wherever he could find the chance. Sintim found that opportunity in 2014 in Livingston, Ala., with the West Alabama Tigers as part of the NFL Players Association Coaching Internship Program. "That was very humbling but very much so needed to get me to where I am now," said Sintim, who is now in his second year coaching the UVA defensive line. A native of Woodbridge, Va., Sintim was a four-year letter winner at Virginia and served as a team captain as a senior in 2008. He was a second-team All-ACC selection and received All-America honors that same sea- son. He finished his UVA career with 245 tackles, 46 tackles for loss and 29 sacks. His sack total ranks as the second highest in UVA history. In 2009, Sintim was a second-round NFL Draft selection by the New York Giants. He played in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons before a knee injury sidelined him for the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. He announced his retirement as a player in 2013. Sintim's NFL career included a Super Bowl (XLVI) championship (2011 season) when the Gi- ants defeated the New England Patriots 21- 17 in Indianapolis. "I never thought about being a coach when I was playing," he said. "Like every kid, I wanted to play in the NFL and I wanted to do it as long as I could. My career was shorter than I expected it to be. I enjoyed the game so much, I didn't want to get away from it. "Coaching was the next thing to playing in terms of fulfillment. It allows me to live through my players. I enjoy it." Sintim returned to Virginia after spending the previous three seasons as the lineback- ers/defensive ends coach for Rocco at Del- aware. Prior to that, he coached for Rocco at Richmond in the same capacity during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. "I had a pretty good career here and I was able to accomplish some things here," Sintim said. "Everything these guys are doing, I've done it. Different coach and dif- ferent system, but I've done it. I've been to classes. I've walked Grounds. I was in their situation. It is humbling to have a younger guy ask me questions and pick my brain. "Being at Virginia is special to me because of the history I have had with it and being able to pass that along is just as special." — Jim Daves behind the scenes Defensive Line Coach Clint Sintim Sintim is a former Cavalier All-American and second-round NFL Draft pick who has been coaching at the college level since 2014. (Photo by Jim Daves/courtesy UVA) Mia Barnett — Cross Country The first-year from La Crescenta, Calif., made her collegiate debut one to remem- ber, finishing first in the Virginia Invita- tional Sept. 17 at Panorama Farms. Her effort earned her ACC Women's Co-Freshman of the Week accolades. Barnett led the 5K race from the 2K mark and placed almost 12 sec- onds ahead of the runner-up with a time of 17:13.7. Her effort helped the Cavaliers place first in the eight-team field with a team total of 17 points. Diana Ordoñez — Women's Soccer The third-year for- ward from Prosper, Texas, was tabbed as ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 28 after she notched the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over No. 2 Duke Sept. 23 and then assisted on game-winner in the 90th minute of a 2-1 victory at NC State Sept. 26. Ordoñez now has four game-win- ning goals this season and 11 for her career. Through 12 games, her nine goals and 18 points led UVA. Dontayvion Wicks — Football The second-year from Plaquemine, La., was one of eight players added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, annually presented to the nation's most outstanding FBS wide receiver. Through five games, Wicks had 24 receptions for 535 yards (22.3 yards per catch) and a team-high five touchdowns. He ranked second in the ACC and seventh in the nation in receiving yards, and was second in the ACC and eighth nationally in yards per catch. HOO'S HOT Recognizing the "Who's Hoo" in UVA athletics — Cavalier student-athletes, past, present and future who are making news around the world of sports. 17th Overall was where former Virginia standout Trey Murphy III was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft July 29. Murphy, who was later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, is the 11th UVA player to be se- lected in the first round of the NBA Draft, joining Barry Parkhill (1973), Wally Walker (1976), Jeff Lamp (1981), Ralph Sampson (1983), Olden Polynice (1987), Bryant Stith (1992), Cory Alexander (1995), Justin Anderson (2015), De'Andre Hunter (2019) and Ty Jerome (2019). He is also the ninth Cavalier to be drafted since 2012, with second-round selections Mike Scott (2012), Joe Harris (2014), Malcolm Brogdon (2016), Devon Hall (2018) and Kyle Guy (2019) joining the previously mentioned first-rounders.