Clarksville, TN – For the second-straight season, an Austin Peay State University (APSU)football player has been named the United Athletic Conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, with Chandler Kirton earning the league’s top academic honor and a unanimous selection to the Academic All-UAC team, as selected by the league’s football athletics communications directors and academic coordinators.
In the conference’s two-year history, an Austin Peay State University football student-athlete has earned the UAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award each season, with Kirton joining 2023 recipient Maddux Trujillo. Kirton and Trujillo also were both unanimous selections to the Academic All-UAC team, which recognizes the top 11 student-athletes across the UAC based on academic and athletic achievement.
Kirton, an Atlantic Beach, Florida native, is set to graduate from Austin Peay State University today with a 3.94 grade-point average and a bachelor’s degree in management. Kirton also was the UAC’s nominee and one of 13 finalists for the 2024 Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognizes an FCS football student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom, and across the community.
During his Austin Peay State University career, Kirton has been on the APSU Dean’s List in all six semesters and was a 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® honoree. Kirton also was a semifinalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, which is presented annually by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
On the field, Kirton has started 35-straight games for the Governors after starting at center in all 12 games during the 2024 season. Kirton, who had played right guard in all but one game prior to this season, allowed just one sack and was called for just a single holding penalty during his first full season at center.
Kirton was a 2023 First Team All-UAC and a 2022 All-ASUN Conference selection on the offensive line; he also earned 2022 HERO Sports Freshman All-America honors.
Be sure to keep up with all the postseason awards and offseason news by following Austin Peay State University football on X and Instagram or checking back at LetsGoPeay.com.
