Austin Appleby Life Update

             

            Most people wouldn’t choose to start their day off at 5 a.m. in a locker room full of sweaty football players. Most people wouldn’t wish and hope to do so day in and day out either. However, most people also haven’t been able to say they’ve set records at one of the most prestigious schools in the country. And most people, in fact all other people, are not Austin Appleby. Appleby was the first graduate transfer to earn the starting job at quarterback at the University of Florida.  He did so in 2016. And he savored the opportunity. 

           "To get an opportunity to play and get a start in The Swamp was truly a childhood dream come true," said Appleby. "I've never felt that energy like you feel being a Gator playing in The Swamp."

            In Appleby’s only start in The Swamp against South Carolina, he completed 23 of 29 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns. This ranks him third for passing yards in a Gator debut behind Gator legends Shane Matthews and Tim Tebow.

            The energy of The Swamp he recalled was felt more than just once. One of Appleby’s favorite moments wearing the orange and blue was throwing a 98-yeard touchdown pass against LSU to get the Gators their first win at Baton Rouge since 2009.

            If you follow the Gators in any sort of way, one would remember the hoopla that surrounded this game against LSU. Hurricane Matthew came through Florida and the home game for UF ultimately turned into a road game at LSU.  

            Achieving everything Appleby did, did not come easy. He was not named quarterback at the start of the 2016 season. Being battle tested most of his football career, Appleby was familiar with this sort of routine and he knew that he had to instill trust into his teammates and coaches so that he could deliver when his number was called.

            When his opportunity did come, Appleby was gracious of his gator teammates for rallying behind him and having faith in his abilities.

            “We were able to win a whole bunch of games and get to the SEC Championship and win a bowl game,” he said. “It’s something I will always be very proud of.”

            Appleby’s love of football started at an early age. Growing up in Ohio, he remembers going to the 2006 National Championship game as a Buckeye fan. Watching in the stands, he quickly fell in love with a certain someone wearing orange and blue. Little did he know his life would come full circle

“I saw this number 15 fella and I just wanted to be him, I idolized him, I did everything I could possibly do to try to become a Gator,” he said.

Just a few years later, he did just that. After winning a bowl game against Iowa for the Gators, Appleby started the next chapter of his book. The NFL.

It was a normal sight to see a young Appleby in his backyard throwing touchdown passes to himself in his plastic Dallas Cowboys helmet. Much like eventually becoming a Gator after watching Tebow, life came full circle for him again.

Appleby was expecting to be drafted in the later rounds but after spending draft weekend with his family and not getting a call, Appleby’s resilience was tested yet again. But this time, not for long.

Just seconds after the seventh round of the draft ended, bam. Appleby got a call from a Dallas number.

“I pick it up and it was the Cowboys saying they want to sign me,” he said. “That was my dream team so it was really cool to share that moment with my family.”

Although Appleby’s time in Dallas was cut shorter than he would’ve liked, the lessons and things he learned about himself can never be taken away.

“I’ve proved to myself that I can play in the NFL, so it’s about just staying faithful and letting God’s plan work itself out,” Appleby said.

The next chapter of his book is Pro Day. He is currently in Ft. Lauderdale training at a facility with 25 other players chasing the same dream. The memories of throwing in his backyard are still in the back of his head. He isn’t ready for his football journey to be over quite yet.

“My heart is set on accomplishing my childhood dream of being an NFL quarterback and that little kid in me refuses to die.”