BOONE, N.C. — A career milestone reminded Austin Exford of the spring day five months ago when, at long last, he crossed the stage in a cap and gown.
Exford, a versatile defender and special teams standout, recorded his first college interception in a recent 35-9 win at Arkansas State. Like teammate Chandler Greer, a starting right tackle, Exford is a fifth-year player who already has earned an undergraduate degree from Appalachian State.
The pursuit of a college diploma is demanding. It's also rewarding.
By picking off the Arkansas State pass in a nationally televised game as his college football career nears its conclusion, Exford enjoyed a similar feeling of satisfaction.
"Just like with finishing school, you're seeing that your hard work is finally paying off," Exford said. "There were some injuries early on, and I've had to fight through a lot of things, but you keep trying to get better and better, and you're working harder and harder. When it finally feels like it's paying off, it's an unreal experience that's all worth it."
In terms of underclassmen on the roster, Appalachian State has the nation's third-youngest team behind just Illinois and Coastal Carolina. The Mountaineers have only 12 seniors, but the leadership shown by the team's veterans, including Exford and Greer, has helped No. 25 App State get off to a 5-1 start that features the first Top 25 ranking in program history.
As redshirt seniors, Exford and Greer are chasing a third straight Sun Belt championship while also continuing their educations.
Exford graduated in May with a construction management degree from the Building Science program, and he is currently taking classes in the Master of Science in Technology program with a concentration in Sustainable Design and Construction. He has a goal of becoming a project manager for a construction company.
Greer earned a marketing degree in May and is taking master's classes in Educational Media with a focus on new literacies. He's interested in sales and business as well as possibly teaching and coaching.
"I'm looking forward to the next challenge and will attack it full speed with the same energy I've put into football all these years," he said.
Greer, who is from Knoxville, Tenn., and Exford, who is from Snellville, Ga., both arrived at Appalachian in 2014 and redshirted during the Mountaineers' debut as an FBS program. Exford spent time in 2015 recovering from offseason surgery and appeared in the final four games of his redshirt freshman season, while Greer made three appearances that year.
Exford has now played in 34 career games, and Greer has started in 11 of his 21 career appearances. A part-time starter at left guard in 2017, he performed well at right tackle during this year's fall camp and has started each game at that spot. They are joined by one more graduate in slot receiver and North Carolina native Dominique Heath, who enrolled at App State as an immediately eligible transfer after he earned a degree from Kansas State.
The hard-hitting Exford has contributed all over the field, whether it's as a safety, linebacker or on special teams coverage, as he's continued to excel there after recovering a fumble in last year's bowl victory. He has delivered several of the team's biggest hits in 2018, including one immediately after an Arkansas State returner caught a punt last week.
That was part of a night in which his three special teams tackles resulted in two punt returns for a combined loss of 5 yards and one kickoff return for a pedestrian 16 yards. A staple in App State's third-down defensive package, he has also made two big plays on first down this season.
At Arkansas State, with the Mountaineers leading 28-9 early in the fourth quarter, Exford came away with his first career interception after hauling in a pass tipped by outside linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither. Earlier this year, he made an end-zone recovery of a Charlotte fumble to score his first college touchdown.
Those turnovers helped Appalachian hold four straight opponents without a single second-half point prior to its 27-17 win against Louisiana on Saturday.
"I definitely love being able to be used all over the field," Exford said. "There's nothing like playing physical. That's our brand of football here at App State, so any time I get the opportunity, I have to take advantage of it."
Like Exford, Greer's career has required patience and perseverance. He says he has played six positions — "I do mean six," he confirmed — at Appalachian State.
That list includes all five offensive line spots and a one-day practice cameo at tight end during the 2017 preseason. Told to stick around after a team meeting, Greer thought he was in trouble, but offensive line coach Shawn Clark and current tight ends coach Nic Cardwell relayed the news that they wanted him to fill in at tight end with that group short-handed by injuries.
Greer was targeted with one pass that day, and he caught the throw from Taylor Lamb — while still wearing No. 78.
"They threw one pass to me and I caught it, so that was my claim to fame," Greer said with a laugh. "I ran downfield about 10 yards, was out of breath, and then all the O-line came and tackled me, so it was exciting. I stayed in No. 78, but I got some nice new gloves to catch the ball."
This year, Greer has returned to right tackle, the position he played in high school and a spot where he had backed up multi-year starter Beau Nunn in the past. Through six games this season, the Mountaineers rank No. 7 in the nation at 265.0 rushing yards per game and No. 9 in the nation with only six sacks allowed.
Individually, the PFF College Football site named Greer to its All-Sun Belt team for Week 4 based on the 73.0 grade he received while blocking in a 72-7 win against Gardner-Webb.
"When you have a great coach like Coach Clark, the transition is pretty seamless," Greer said. "I've always tried to make it a point to be well-rounded, but it's also being a team player and letting guys know that I'll be whatever you need me to be to win games."
Greer, Exford and the rest of App State's fifth-year seniors will leave Boone having won a lot of games.
With its first Top 25 ranking and more signs of growth, like the plans for a new end-zone facility in Kidd Brewer Stadium, App State remains in a building mode that Exford can relate to with his interest in construction.
There are clear similarities between being part of a championship-level football team, with the legacy that establishes, and the career path that he is pursuing.
"Being part of something bigger than myself, it usually takes large groups of people to build something massive, like the new football facility being built here at App State," Exford said. "It's exciting to be part of something that will be around for 30, 40, 50 years."
