Throughout the 95 years of coverage for The All State at Austin Peay State University, there have been plenty of great athletes to become a Governor and shine in their respective playing environments.
James “Fly” Williams 1972-1974
James “Fly” Williams attended Austin Peay State University from 1972 to 1974, where he put the Governors’ basketball team on the map. Williams is the all-time leader in points per game in the Ohio Valley Conference and is the only Gov with multiple All-American honors.
During his freshman season, Williams averaged 29.5 points per game, which ended up being an NCAA record for 16 straight years. Williams became the first OVC Player of the Year in program history in the same season. In fact, his 854 points scored during his freshman season are still the most in a single season by a Gov. Williams also has the only two 50-point games in program history, while also being the only Gov to score 25 plus points in multiple NCAA Tournament games.
After Williams’ second season in Clarksville, he was drafted in the ninth round of the 1976 ABA Draft by the Denver Rockets, and after a personnel change, ended up with the Spirits of St. Louis.
Trenton Hassell 1998-2001
Trenton Hassell attended Clarksville High School and decided to stay local and attend Austin Peay State University. Hassel earned the 1998-1999 OVC Newcomer of the Year honors for his first season with the Governors. Hassel also earned the 2000-2001 OVC Player of the Year honor and was a three-time First Team All-OVC selection as well. Hassel also went on to earn All-American honors in 2001.
Throughout Hassell’s time in college, he managed to improve every season. In 2001, Hassel was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft with the 30th overall pick. Hassell played for nine seasons in the NBA, being a member of the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets. Hassel finished with 3,741 career points, 428 starts and 644 appearances, making him one of the greatest basketball players post-graduation in Governor’s basketball history.
A.J. Ellis 2000-2003
A.J. Ellis attended Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky, where the Governors’ coaching staff recruited him to play baseball.
During his first season, Ellis split between playing first base and being the designated hitter and batting .368. This earned Ellis a spot on the First Team All-OVC roster, and he was also named to the Louisville Slugger All-Freshman Team. During his sophomore season, Ellis mostly played first base, where he was named a First Team All-OVC first baseman while batting .335 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI. As a junior, he switched to being a full-time catcher, where he batted .371 with nine home runs and 44 RBI. For his senior season, Ellis was named by Baseball America as a player to watch in the OVC and was a member of the preseason all-conference team. Ellis was also voted as team captain by his teammates. Ellis batted .337 with seven home runs and 38 RBI, becoming the fifth player in league baseball history to earn First Team All-OVC for all four seasons.
When Ellis’s time in college came to an end, he was the career hits leader with 263 and ranked in the top 10 in 14 different categories for the Governors. In June of 2003, the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Ellis in the 18th round of the MLB draft. After climbing through the minor league ranks, the Dodgers brought Ellis up to make his MLB debut on September 15, 2008. Two of Ellis’s most significant career moments in the majors include hitting a game-winning solo homerun that clinched the National League West title for the Dodgers in 2013 and being the catcher for Clayton Kershaw’s first career no-hitter in 2014.
Jeff Gooch 1992-1995
Jeff Gooch is arguably one of the most successful football players to make it to the NFL in Governors football history. Gooch was from Nashville, Tennessee, where he attended Overton High School.
Gooch was recruited by the Governors as a defensive back and was forced to move to quarterback because of injuries. He recorded 431 passing yards and 287 rushing yards during this time. For his final two seasons, Gooch permanently switched back to the defensive side of the ball, where he recorded 215 tackles with 17 resulting in losses, and had five pass breakups with one interception. After his senior season, Gooch became the first Austin Peay State University player to play in the Hula Bowl in Honolulu.
However, Gooch went undrafted in 1996 and decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while also eventually playing for the Detroit Lions. Gooch played in over 100 NFL games and was a starter and key contributor on multiple defenses throughout his NFL career.
Tatiana Ariza 2010-2013
Tatiana Ariza is the all-time leader in goals with 54, assists with 24 and points with 132 in the Governors ‘ women’s soccer history. Ariza ended her first season at Austin Peay State University by winning the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2010, making her the first in program history to win that honor. Ariza also won the OVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012, which also made her the first in program history. She was also named to the First Team All-OVC all four seasons she played.
Ariza helped lead the team to two OVC Tournament Championship matches during her time with the Governors. Ariza also represented Colombia in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2012 London Olympics, all while she was still a student. For her final season, Ariza was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete for the 2012-2013 year.
Terry Taylor 2017-2021
Terry Taylor was a four-time region champion at Bowling Green High School, where he finished with 1,704 points and 1,130 rebounds. As a senior, Taylor became the 15th player in OVC to earn multiple Player of the Year honors. Taylor is also the Governor’s career scoring leader with 2,488 points and became the third Gov and 19th player in OVC history to reach the 2000-point mark.
Taylor went undrafted in 2021; however, he signed with the Indiana Pacers, where he split time between the Pacers and their G-League team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 2023, Taylor signed with the Chicago Bulls on a two-way contract. In 2024, he signed with the Sacramento Kings on a similar contract and won a G-League championship with the Stockton Kings. In game three of the finals, he had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Currently, Taylor is signed to the Ningbo Rockets in the Chinese Basketball Association on a one-year contract.
