The Bama Hammer Eulogy: Florida Quarterback Austin Appleby

The Bama Hammer Eulogy is for the once-promising career of a quarterback who inexplicably backed his team into the SEC Championship Game. Today, we remember Florida quarterback Austin Appleby.

We have gathered together today to remember another promising talent, a field general who on the surface appeared to have brought his team to the brink of a historic upset and an SEC championship – a quarterback with promise had he not met his most unfortunate demise at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 3, 2016.

We are here to remember Florida quarterback Austin Appleby.

Maybe the most unfortunate part about having to gather to remember Appleby is in knowing he easily could easily be safe and sound back in North Canton, Ohio, right now. Instead, Appleby chose to graduate transfer from Purdue to Florida after finishing with 11 starts for the Boilermakers.

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As fate would have it, Appleby also wouldn’t be in this most unfortunate position had it not been for earlier Florida quarterback injuries to Luke Del Rio becoming a one-main infirmary all season.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Appleby’s first chance at the Florida helmsman spot came when Del Rio torqued his knee during a win against North Texas. But Appleby earned his first start in orange and blue when Del Rio (in a bulky knee brace) dinged up his shoulder against South Carolina.

Appleby’s fate came on the artificial turf of Atlanta’s Georgia Dome to the fabled Alabama Crimson Tide defense – a unit that has already caused similar eulogies to LSU’s Danny Etling, Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald, Chattanooga’s Alejandro Bennifield and the entire Auburn Tigers team.

Alabama’s defense is lethal in every facet measurable – leading the nation in defensive touchdowns, three-and-outs, rushing defense and scoring defense. On the last one, the Alabama defense has not surrendered a touchdown in the last 267 minutes and 54 seconds of game action, dating back to the third quarter of the Texas A&M game.

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So please join us at Bama Hammer as we remember Florida quarterback Austin Appleby for all he was and what he could have been. Because once Dec. 2, 2016 comes and goes, the only way you see him from now on will be on Alabama Crimson Tide defensive highlight films.