Austin Appleby
Austin Michael Appleby (born June 4, 1993) is an American football coach and former quarterback.[1] He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers from 2011 to 2014 and the Florida Gators in 2016 and 2017, appearing in 28 games with 4,224 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.[2] After going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, Appleby signed with the Dallas Cowboys and later played in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) with the Orlando Apollos and the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Ottawa Redblacks and Edmonton Eskimos before retiring in 2020.[1] Appleby began his coaching career in 2018 as quarterbacks coach at the University of Mount Union. He served as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan in 2019, wide receivers coach at Missouri State from 2020 to 2022, and wide receivers coach at UAB from 2023 to 2024. As of the 2025 season, he is an offensive analyst for the Purdue Boilermakers.[3]Early years
Early life
Austin Appleby was born on June 4, 1993, in North Canton, Ohio.[4][5] He grew up in a supportive family environment that emphasized athletics, as the son of Mike and Julia Appleby; his father, Mike, had played college football at the University of Louisville before transferring to the University of Akron.[6][7] Appleby has a younger brother, Jake, who also pursued football, eventually playing quarterback for Marshall University, fostering a household deeply immersed in the sport.[6][7] From a young age, Appleby was exposed to multiple sports, including football, baseball, and basketball, which helped shape his early athletic development before he focused primarily on football.[8] In youth baseball with the North Canton Little League, he demonstrated early talent by co-leading the Major League in home runs in 2005 alongside Zach Haasz and solely leading the category in 2006.[9] He also participated in the local youth football system, building foundational skills in the position that would define his career.[8] Appleby transitioned to organized high school athletics at Hoover High School in North Canton.[5]High school career
Appleby attended Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, where he competed in three sports: football as the quarterback, baseball, and basketball.[10] During his junior year in 2010, Appleby earned the starting quarterback position for the Hoover Vikings midway through the season, helping to revitalize the team's offense.[11] However, his campaign ended prematurely in the eighth game against McKinley in October, when he suffered tears to both the ACL and MCL in his right knee while scrambling for a first down.[11] He underwent surgery and remarkably returned to throwing passes within six months, defying the typical nine-month recovery timeline.[11] In 2011, despite the prior injury, Appleby qualified for the national ESPN RISE Elite 11 Camp through a regional event at Ohio State University and performed strongly, showcasing his arm strength and accuracy. Over his final two high school seasons, he threw for more than 2,800 yards and 15 touchdowns, solidifying his status as a top pro-style quarterback prospect in Ohio.[5] On June 29, 2011, Appleby verbally committed to Purdue University, rated as a three-star recruit by both Scout and Rivals.[12][13]College career
Purdue Boilermakers
Austin Appleby redshirted as a freshman in 2012 at Purdue University. As a redshirt freshman in 2013, he made his collegiate debut in a loss to Iowa, completing 5 of 6 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.[14] In 2014, Appleby became the starter midway through the season after an injury to Danny Etling. He started the final seven games, going 2–5 as the Boilermakers finished 1–11 overall. Appleby passed for 1,449 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while rushing for 198 yards and five scores.[2][4] Appleby opened the 2015 season as the starter but struggled, throwing six interceptions in the first three games amid an 0–3 start. He was benched after a loss to Virginia Tech, with David Blough taking over. Appleby appeared in two more games later in the year, finishing with 1,260 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions in five games (four starts). Over three seasons at Purdue, he played in 16 games with 11 starts, totaling 2,777 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.[2][8] Following the 2015 season, Appleby entered the graduate transfer portal and committed to the University of Florida for his final year of eligibility.[15]Florida Gators
Appleby transferred to the University of Florida as a graduate student in the summer of 2016, seeking one final season of eligibility after three years at Purdue where he had gained starting experience.[16] Under head coach Jim McElwain, he joined a quarterback room led by Luke Del Rio but quickly saw action due to injuries.[17] Appleby appeared in 9 games for the Gators, making seven starts after Del Rio suffered season-ending injuries in consecutive months.[18] Stepping in as the starter beginning in late September, Appleby provided stability to Florida's offense amid a rash of injuries across the roster. He went 4–3 in those starts, helping the Gators secure the SEC East division title for the second straight year with a crucial 16–10 road victory over LSU on November 19, where he completed 14 of 25 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. This win clinched Florida's berth in the SEC Championship Game against top-ranked Alabama on December 3, though the Gators fell 54–16 in a lopsided defeat marked by three turnovers, including two interceptions by Appleby.[19] The team finished the regular season 8–3 overall (7–1 in SEC play) before dropping the January 2, 2017, Citrus Bowl to Iowa 30–3, where Appleby's offense managed just 122 total yards. Appleby's performance highlighted the offensive challenges faced by McElwain's squad, which ranked 104th nationally in scoring (24.5 points per game) despite a stout defense. He completed 127 of 209 passes for 1,447 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, reflecting a balanced but inconsistent output in a run-heavy scheme that leaned on tailback Jordan Scarlett.[2] His leadership steadied the team during a midseason stretch of four wins in five games but underscored broader struggles with protection and playmaking in high-stakes matchups.[20]College statistics
Austin Appleby's college football career statistics encompass his appearances at Purdue University from 2013 to 2015 and the University of Florida in 2016, where he appeared in 25 games and made 18 starts.[2] Overall, Appleby completed 395 of 694 passes for 4,224 passing yards, achieving a 56.9% completion percentage, with 29 passing touchdowns and 26 interceptions.[2] He also contributed on the ground with 158 rushing attempts for 245 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns.[2] His passing efficiency varied by season, with notable improvements in completion percentage and rating during his time at Florida.[15] The following table summarizes his passing statistics year by year:| Year | School | Games Played | Starts | Completions/Attempts | Completion % | Yards | Passing TDs | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Purdue | 1 | 0 | 5/6 | 83.3 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 233.5 |
| 2014 | Purdue | 10 | 7 | 144/272 | 52.9 | 1,449 | 10 | 11 | 101.7 |
| 2015 | Purdue | 5 | 4 | 119/207 | 57.5 | 1,260 | 8 | 8 | 113.6 |
| 2016 | Florida | 9 | 7 | 127/209 | 60.8 | 1,447 | 10 | 7 | 128.0 |
| Year | School | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards per Carry | Rushing TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Purdue | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Purdue | 10 | 61 | 198 | 3.2 | 5 |
| 2015 | Purdue | 5 | 56 | 92 | 1.6 | 4 |
| 2016 | Florida | 9 | 41 | -45 | -1.1 | 0 |