GAINESVILLE, Fla. – While many in the South believe they are in the epicenter of football, Florida quarterback Austin Appleby hails from a place where the greats of the gridiron are commemorated forever. Football seeps into almost every aspect of life in North Canton, Ohio, and Appleby fell hard for its charms.
“I grew up going to Friday night Hoover (High) games, Saturday nights were all about the (Ohio State) Buckeyes, and Sundays were the NFL,” says Appleby, a grad transfer from Purdue. “You know, growing up going to the (NFL) Hall of Fame games and being around that environment, it’s almost like the Friday Night Lights movie except it’s in Northeast Ohio.