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HomeSportsAustin Peay State University Governors Football add two, lose two for fall

Austin Peay State University Governors Football add two, lose two for fall

APSU Sports Information Office

Austin Peay State University Governors - APSUClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University football has some additions and deletions from its roster for Fall 2014.

Joining the team will be a local recruit, Jule Pace, a 6-1, 249-pound defensive end from West Creek High School, and 6-2, 190-pound quarterback Darrien Boone, a Chicago native who is transferring to APSU from Central Michigan. Boone, who redshirted in 2013, will have four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Austin Peay Football. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Football. (APSU Sports Information)

In addition, head coach Kirby Cannon has announced wide receiver Darryl Clack has been suspended for the 2014 season for a “violation of team rules,” while senior quarterback Andrew Spivey has elected to transfer from the program for his final season.

The 6-6 Clack was second on the team in receptions in 2013 with 28 for 398 and two TDs. The Nashville native had 80 yards in receptions against Tennessee and 90 versus Southeast Missouri. He caught both TD passes against UT Martin.

“If Darryl makes the necessary progress and fulfills all his obligations he will return to the squad in January,” Cannon said.

Spivey transferred from the College of San Francisco and started the season’s first six games before a shoulder injury limited his effectiveness. He led APSU in passing yards with 674 yards, completing 76 of 147 attempts. Coming off the bench against Southeast Missouri, he threw for a season-best 122 yards, completing 8-of-11 attempts. However, rising junior Trey Taylor, who redshirted in 2013 after transferring from Central Arkansas, beat him out as starter in the spring.

“Andrew lost his starting position in the spring,” Cannon said. “My feeling always has been is to be honest with players as far as what their role might be in the coming fall. Andrew felt (being the backup) that would not be his idea of a senior season.  He chose to leave the program to seek opportunities elsewhere. From eligibility purposes, it would need to be at Division III or the NAIA level.

“Andrew played hard and performed his best last year. There are no hard feelings. We just wish him the best.”

In addition to playing defensive line at West Creek, Pace was a superb 220-pound wrestler (The Leaf-Chronicle All-Area team).

“Jule has a chance to be a good football player for this program,” Cannon said. “He was an outstanding wrestler and is a guy who continues to develop physically as a football player.  His success in wrestling shows us he is tough physically and mentally.

“Jule trying to keep his weight down for wrestling may have put him at a disadvantage in his initial football recruitment. We see a bright future for him.

Although he transferred to Hales Franciscan High School, a Catholic school, as a senior for “safety reasons,” Boone was forced to sit out the 2012 season when Chicago Public Schools failed to offer an eligibility waiver. Still he left an impressive legacy at public school Christian Fenger Academy.

Boone was a three-year starter, being selected all-conference and all-city all three seasons. He also was named All-State as a junior after leading Fenger Academy to a conference championship and to second round state and city playoff semifinals. Boone passed for 36 TDs that season and ran for 10 more.

In 2009 as a freshman, Boone was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks after throwing four and five touchdowns, respectively.

In addition to learning his second system in two years, Boone also will attempt to shake off rust from inactivity—he has not appeared in a game since 2011.

“Darrien is an outstanding athlete who wants to play,” Cannon said. “At the quarterback position if you are not at the right spot at the right time sometimes you sit behind a quarterback and do a lot of watching.

“I recruited Darrien out of high school in Chicago—he is a terrific student. He is going to bring an athleticism to that (quarterback) position that many kids can’t. He an extremely competitive young man and that is something he will bring to our program that we can’t get enough of right now in the stage of our program. We need kids who want to scratch, claw, do whatever it takes to win a football game.”

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