Clarksville, TN – All-America Award season began Tuesday with HERO Sports and the Associated Press announcing their 2021 FCS All-America Teams, which included five Austin Peay State University (APSU) football athletes.
Each of the five Governors recognized Monday earned their first All-America recognition, capping a season that saw the APSU Governors finish second in the OVC with a 4-2 record while notching a 6-5 overall record.
Tuesday morning, Johnathon Edwards and Koby Perry each earned regular All-America honors from HERO Sports, with Edwards gaining a third-team nod while Perry was a second-team honoree. Terrell Allen and Draylen Ellis earned recognition on HERO Sports Sophomore All-America squad and wide receiver Drae McCray was a Freshman All-America selection.
The HERO Sports Awards kick off a slate of All-America honors at the FCS level with the FCS Athletics Directors Association, Stats Perform, Associated Press, Walter Camp and American Football Coaches Association each to name their FCS All-America Teams in the upcoming days.
APSU Governors’ 2021 All-America Honorees
Terrell Allen
- 2021 HERO Sports Sophomore All-America
In his sophomore season, Allen made the jump to Second Team All-OVC after a campaign that saw him record 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.
His 11 TFLs were tied for most in the OVC, and his five sacks were third-most in the league.
Allen also averaged 3.3 tackles per game, ranking fifth among OVC defensive linemen. His two-and-half sacks and two hurries against Eastern Illinois were the highlight of a notable season.
Draylen Ellis
- 2021 HERO Sports Sophomore All-America
The 2020-21 OVC Co-Freshman of the Year followed his impressive freshman campaign with a solid sophomore outing. He was ranked among the FCS leaders and led the OVC in passing touchdowns (19), passing yards (2,625), yards per completion (13.7), and total offense (268.5 ypg).
Ellis became only the third Governors’ quarterback to record 2,500-plus passing yards in a season. He also set program records for passing yards per game (262.5) and total offense per game (268.5).
Drae McCray
- 2021 HERO Sports Freshman All-America
The heir apparent to what is becoming quite the wide receiver tradition at Austin Peay. He became notorious as a big-play receiver in the first three weeks with a 50-yard reception in each game. After opening OVC play quietly, he broke out with a 6-reception, 137-yard, and two-touchdown outing against Eastern Illinois.
But he also saved the best for last, with a memorable 7-reception, 237-yard, 4-touchdown performance against Tennessee Tech that very well sealed his standing as one of the FCS’ top wide receivers.
Koby Perry
- 2021 Associated Press Second Team All-America
- 2021 HERO Sports Second Team All-America
Perry’s year-to-year improvement was remarkable. Last spring, he finished with 36 tackles (4.0 pg), three tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. This season, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year compiled 85 tackles (7.7 pg), eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.
His 75-yard interception return for a touchdown at UT Martin was a masterclass in reading the play and attacking the point of the pass. Yet that game was even more impressive thanks to his 16 tackles – most by a Governor in 2021 – he was quite literally everywhere at once.
Johnathon Edwards
- 2021 Associated Press First Team All-America
- 2021 HERO Sports Third Team All-America
When you open the season with two interceptions, the odds are good something special is in store. And so it was for Edwards, who followed his two-pick day at Chattanooga with five more interceptions to finish the season with seven – second-most in program history.
Tack on his two fumble recoveries, and Edwards alone was responsible for nine of the Govs’ FCS-best 26 takeaways in 2021. Edwards’ lasting memory from the season will be his 3-interception, 2-pass breakup, 4-tackle day against Eastern Illinois that saw him earn OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
