CLARKSVILLE, TN – Commencement is a big day for every graduate. AJ Crowder is used to big stages. For four years, he has worked inside packed arenas and stadiums, creating moments that stick with people on the drive home. This spring, the man behind the Gov steps into the spotlight as himself and hangs up the top hat.
Crowder graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in communication media with a focus in sports communication, closing a chapter that began when he became Austin Peay State University’s first scholarship mascot four years ago. He arrived in 2022 from Greenbrier, better known then as Bobby the Bobcat, calling Austin Peay his “book of empty pages.” He wrote his story by making the Gov larger than life and by learning, in the classroom and on the field, how to tell the university’s story well. His final project traced the pop-culture inspirations behind the Gov, from costumes and dances to the “showstopper” pose, tying sports communication concepts directly to what fans see on game day.
“The lessons that I’ve learned in the classroom, in the costume and just as a human here at Austin Peay State University are some of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned in my life,” Crowder reflects…