This is pretty badass.
TO: Quarterbacks on the 2024 Austin Peay Schedule
FROM: Me
SUBJECT:
Sammy Anderson Jr.
Greetings –
I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing to you today regarding
Sammy Anderson Jr., Austin Peay's resident ballhawk and coverage corner extraordinaire. Some of you might have scouted him, and some of you have already played him, and after he's pulled in interceptions in four straight games, it seemed important to do a little check-in with all of you.
Are you good?
Do you need some water?
Are you getting plenty of sleep?
How is everything going, really?
And (this is the big one) what makes you think throwing in
Sammy Anderson Jr.'s general direction is a good idea?
"He is a tremendously talented football player, highly intelligent," said Austin Peay head coach Jeff Faris. "We're proud of who he's becoming, as a person and as a leader on our defense."
Five games into this season, there is now a ream of data available to tell anyone that throwing at No. 5 is a perilous choice, one that should really be about as far down the list as "turning your back to the line of scrimmage and heaving the ball out of the back of the opposite end zone" when it comes to reads. Anderson has the ball skills, the instincts, the closing speed, and the hands – it's the full package for a defensive back, one the greatest in program history to have been blessed with. Anderson is trending toward a career arc that compares favorably to those of Kordell Jackson, Mike Betts, and Kevis Buckley, the latter of whom was the last Gov to pick off a pass in three straight games.
(Related: if you or someone you know once played football for Austin Peay and intercepted a pass in four straight games for the Govs, contact Casey Crigger at
criggerc@apsu.edu; we've reached the "this record is so anomalous that it's time to crowd-source the answer" portion of Anderson's pick streak.)
The way these picks have taken place showcases the full
Sammy Anderson Jr. Interception Arsenal.
- The streak started at home, on a busted SIU field goal attempt; as the holder attempted to fling the ball away over the entire defense, it was Anderson who faded back and picked off the ball in the end zone.
- At Central Arkansas, the quarterback thought his receiver had a step on Anderson. He did not, and the transfer from Cincinnati made a leaping snare in the end zone to prove it.
- Against Alabama A&M, Anderson jumped a stop route on the Bulldogs' first play of the game, reading it off the quarterback's eyes all the way and nearly tip-toeing his way down the sideline for a pick-six.
- Against Southern Utah, Anderson took the perfect angle and showcased great closing speed to snare the pick at the goal line to stop a Thunderbird aerial assault.
Anderson came to Austin Peay from Cincinnati following a season where injury cost him all but one appearance for the Bearcats. He'd become a regular contributor in the Queen City, playing 13 games as a redshirt sophomore and starting the Fenway Bowl as the Bearcats nickel corner. He's seen a lot in his career, and he's grateful to be back on the field and competing at the level he's reached.
Even if that means teams keep on trying him.
"I feel like now I've got more experience, I've played against players in the NFL, and I learned a lot of different tendencies," he said. "Just being on the field is huge for me, because the more reps I get, the more consistent I can be. You can feel the tempo, feel how they're running routes, what they'll do at the top of their routes, what tendencies they'll give you."
Listen. You keep on throwing at him and this is just the sort of thing that's going to happen. It's hard to say you're wrong to do it, because
Jesse Johnson III is over on the other side, and that's not exactly a picnic for opposing quarterbacks either. But based on five weeks of evidence, throwing at Sammy certainly can't be considered the right call either. Not that he takes it personally.
"They just believe in their guys more," he said of opposing quarterbacks. "I know people will throw my way again, and I just have to work and study tendencies to be prepared."
Everyone is free to football in whatever way feels best to them. Maybe part of the game plan is challenging the 6-0 senior from Dayton. Through five games, it's been a bold gambit, but… actually, who are we kidding? The single-season interception record at Austin Peay is nine, and it's not gonna break itself. Y'all keep on throwing at
Sammy Anderson Jr., and let's make a little history.
Warm Regards,
A Concerned Citizen and College Football Watcher
