Austin Peay Football Article

[JMU Duke Dog]

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/NEWS01/512280312/1002

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Scholarship football harbors restless nights
APSU coaches putting in hours to lure recruits

By TOM WRIGHT
The Leaf-Chronicle

Carroll McCray can't sleep.

Though it has been eight months since the Austin Peay State University head football coach learned he would be leading APSU back to scholarship football following its nine-year hiatus, there he was at 4 a.m. on a recent Wednesday wide awake.

One part of him said sleep, the head coach in him said work.

Knowing he couldn't overcome his drive for excellence, McCray headed to the Dunn Center. It was to be his third straight 12-hour day in the film room reviewing high school football players' tapes with the rest of his coaching staff, and McCray already had some ideas he wanted to jot down.

"Nobody was here," McCray said. "But since we have been all about recruiting, six to eight kids popped in my head. I put them on the board before the (other coaches) got here because ... I am excited every day."

McCray has every right to be.

When the Division I football signing date arrives Feb. 1, it will mark the first time Austin Peay has been able to award athletic scholarships to football players since former Austin Peay President Sal Rinella removed athletic scholarships from the program in 1996 to save money.

"I think there is a lot of excitement around the region (about our return)," said McCray, who has been scouting and recruiting high school football players whenever he can since the football season ended. "I think we are back in the selling business. ... I think our conference is well respected, and it carries a lot of clout in this region.

"So it's exciting to say we are going to be in that company, again."...

[th0m]

Good article. Seems like they have the right coach for the job. Is our game with them final already, or still in the works? I didn't see a mention of it in the article.

[TexasTerror]

What's the general thought in the OVC of how competitive Austin Peay can be when they are up to full scholarship?

I'm unfamiliar with the region. Any advantages that they have over other OVC institutions in terms of facilities, locations, etc?

[JMU Duke Dog]

Good article. Seems like they have the right coach for the job. Is our game with them final already, or still in the works? I didn't see a mention of it in the article.

Last I heard the game was still technically in the works, but I strongly believe that JMU will be opening its 2006 campaign at home against Austin Peay. Both schools have not yet publicly released their 2006 football schedules.

[COLONELSINCE78]

Peay is in a good town near Fort Campbell Army base. However, the school has always sucked in football and has no chance of competing in the top half of the OVC.

Our conference sucks bad enough they might win a game or two, but they have no chance against EKU, EIU, or Jax State....

APSU is and always will be a basketball school. They have WITHOUT QUESTION the worst and smallest D-I stadium I have ever seen or heard about. It is worse than some very average high school stadiums in my area of Central Kentucky.

I do not hold a grudge against APSU for anything and couldn't give a damn about them playing football, but they SUCK and their stadium is just awful.

[TexasTerror]

Ya know, in all honesty, that stadium looks better than quite a few I-AA stadiums I've seen pictures of...

Austin Peay's stadium...
http://www.apsu.edu/letsgopeay/ovc_otf_champ/stadium.jpg

[th0m]

Their stadium looks 'pictoresque' ;) At least it looks easily expandable, should they be successful.

[TexasTerror]

Ya know, in all honesty, it's not much different than SHSU's stadium...

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/texas/huntsville_bowers.jpg

[Tod]

Ya know, in all honesty, that stadium looks better than quite a few I-AA stadiums I've seen pictures of...

Austin Peay's stadium...
http://www.apsu.edu/letsgopeay/ovc_otf_champ/stadium.jpg

Looks like a fine stadium. It also looks like it's been expanded already, although I could be mistaken. I think the EKU fan is somewhat mistaken in his or her analysis.

[Tod]

Ya know, in all honesty, it's not much different than SHSU's stadium...

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/texas/huntsville_bowers.jpg

That is a stadium I'd like to visit. I love the earthen construction. Cool stadium!! :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

[TexasTerror]

That is a stadium I'd like to visit. I love the earthen construction. Cool stadium!! :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

We just expanded the pressbox. We also added a big 'SH' behind the goal post away from the end zone complex and added huge championship things in our endzone commemorating track and football championships. Also got new goal posts within the last two years...

In 2006, we'll have a new video/scoreboard and a new surface. :)

Redid the track prior to the 2005 SLC outdoor track meet.

[Tod]

We just expanded the pressbox. We also added a big 'SH' behind the goal post away from the end zone complex and added huge championship things in our endzone commemorating track and football championships. Also got new goal posts within the last two years...

In 2006, we'll have a new video/scoreboard and a new surface. :)

Redid the track prior to the 2005 SLC outdoor track meet.

The architects got this one right. I really do think this is one of the coolest stadiums in I-AA. Also expect that SHSU will be a force to be reckoned with, so the two will go hand-in-hand.

:nod: :nod:

[TexasTerror]

Ooops! We hijacked a thread. I'd like to see Austin Peay play SHSU! There, back on topic. The more scholarship I-AAs, the better...though could use some more in this region of the country so the Kats have folks to play...

[Tod]

Ooops! We hijacked a thread. I'd like to see Austin Peay play SHSU! There, back on topic. The more scholarship I-AAs, the better...though could use some more in this region of the country so the Kats have folks to play...

Sorry, beer does that to me! I'm just glad to read that Austin Peay is bringing back the scholarships.

When is the rest of the country going to realize that football is life? Do you pay for food? Shelter? Well, then pay for football!!

Question: How is the second part of the subject school's name pronounced? I've only ever read it, I have not heard it pronounced.

Is it PAY?

Or PEA?

[TexasTerror]

Is it PAY? Or PEA?

Their cheer is "Let's go Peay!"

[Tod]

Their cheer is "Let's go Peay!"

Are you serious? :)

[TexasTerror]

Are you serious? :)

Yep, check it out! :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Peay

[JSU Fan]

Their cheer is "Let's go Peay!"

You'll like this story.

In the early 70's, Peay had a basketball player named "Fly" Williams. He was one of the leading scorers in college basketball and was a playground legend in NYC before Peay "lured" him south.

The APSU cheer then was......

"The Fly is open, Let's Go Peay!!!!!"

Out.

[COLONELSINCE78]

Let me say that picture is taken from the best possible angle. The press box is about 30 feet above field level and probably 60 feet long.

The EKU fan (me) has been there numerous times and is not going off an aerial picture. You can make a pile of kitty litter with small pieces of s*#t in it look like a beach with people if you take a picture from far enough away.

From someone who has been there A LOT, trust me on this...the place sucks

What is similar? SHSU has a VERY large press box (with suites it appears) and another large building in the endzone. Nice earthern built seating vs big chunks of concrete sticking up?

The stands on the right side of the picture...the whole thing is literally 20 rows deep. They are very similar in that they both have a football field with a track around it. Other than that, what do you see? I can't say for sure, I have never been to SHSU