Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 18, 1995                   TAG: 9511200083
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

UVA'S LONDON HAPPY TO BE PART OF STREAK

The Cavaliers' veteran secondary understands that not all situations call for an interception attempt, and maybe coach George Welsh realizes it was foolish ever to make an issue of it.

``In my personal opinion, I don't think the secondary needed any vindication,'' said senior Paul London, who had two of Virginia's four interceptions Saturday in a 21-18 victory at Maryland.

It was the first four-interception game of the season for Virginia, which has intercepted at least one pass in 27 consecutive games and the ``picks'' couldn't have come in a more timely fashion. London's third-quarter interception followed a special-teams blunder that enabled Maryland to recover one of its kickoffs for the second time in the game.

The Terps reached the Virginia 23-yard line before quarterback Scott Milanovich was flushed from the pocket and lobbed the ball in the end zone, where London was waiting.

An earlier interception by freshman Anthony Poindexter set up the touchdown that enabled the Cavaliers, once down 11-0, to pull into an 11-11 halftime tie. After London's first interception, UVa went 75 yards for the touchdown that made it 18-11.

That's where the score stood with 6:32 remaining, when London made a diving interception at the Cavaliers' 10 after Maryland had driven from its own 14-yard line to the Virginia 32.

``The way our team's been playing, if it wasn't me, somebody else would have stepped up and made the play,'' London said. ``I think that's what made our team so effective this year. You never know who's going to step up.''

London is happy with all the playing time he can get after an injury-plagued 1994 season. He was a starter for most of the 1993 season, when he had four interceptions, but suffered a knee injury in the 1994 spring game.

``Last year, I got in for only 159 plays all season,'' said London, a former quarterback at Bethel High School in Hampton. ``So, I was pretty discouraged, but I went into the off-season focused and determined to come back and be successful.''

London had another setback when he required arthroscopic knee surgery in the spring and there was reason to wonder if Virginia would turn to one of its two young safeties, Poindexter or Adrian Burnim.

Poindexter, unable to dislodge one of the safeties, now gets much of his playing time at linebacker. London has been on the field for 757 plays - more than his first three seasons combined - and leads the UVa defensive backs in tackles (61) and stands second in interceptions (five).

``It's been sort of a bittersweet career,'' said London, who moved from receiver to safety before his third year. ``Coming into this year, I just stayed focused on getting healthy and staying healthy and being able to contribute to a successful football season. I hope I've been able to do that.''