Contributed commentary by former state Rep. Curtis Johnson on the Austin Peay State University Govs football team:

I have called Clarksville home for many years, and I have had the privilege of watching this community grow into one of the most dynamic cities in Tennessee. Through all that growth, one institution has remained an important part of the heart and identity of our community: Austin Peay State University.

This year, we have another reason to be proud.

The Austin Peay Governors football team is off to an outstanding start. The Govs are 5–1, including a 35–12 victory over UT Martin, and they have now won 10 consecutive games at Fortera Stadium – an Austin Peay record.

Think about that for a moment. There was a time when winning football games at Austin Peay was difficult. Today, we have a program that expects to win, players who believe they can win, and coaches who are building something Clarksville can be proud of.

| MORE: Austin Peay football earns consensus top 10 status for first time in program history

Now it is our turn: Clarksville needs to fill Fortera Stadium.

These young men work year-round representing Austin Peay and our community. When they run out onto that field on Saturday, they deserve to look into the stands and see thousands of people standing behind them. Home-field advantage is real. Players feel the energy of a packed stadium. Coaches feel it. Recruits see it. Visiting teams certainly notice it.

This is about more than football

And there is something bigger at stake than football.

When prospective students and student-athletes visit Austin Peay and see a packed Fortera Stadium, they see a university with pride and a community that supports it. When television cameras show a full stadium, people around the country see a growing university in a growing Tennessee community.

Austin Peay’s success is good for Clarksville. Football weekends bring alumni and visitors to town. They eat at our restaurants, stay in our hotels, visit our businesses and experience our community. A strong Austin Peay and a strong Clarksville go hand in hand.

Challenge to Clarksville: Let’s do this

That is why I want to issue a challenge.

To our local business owners: Buy some tickets and take your employees to a game. Give them the experience of a home football game at Fortera Stadium.

To our civic organizations: Organize a group and attend a game together.

To our military families at Fort Campbell: Come make Austin Peay football part of your family’s Clarksville experience. Military ID card holders can get free admission to the game.

To Austin Peay alumni: Come home and support your university.

And to those of us who have lived in Clarksville for decades: Bring your children and grandchildren, and show them what it means to support their hometown university.

The Governors have already given us something worth cheering about. They are 5–1 and have turned Fortera Stadium into a place where opponents have had a very difficult time winning. Now imagine 10,000 people in that stadium, dressed in red, on their feet and making some noise.

Clarksville has always been at its best when we rally around our own. These players are representing Austin Peay. They are representing Clarksville. And they are winning.

Now let’s show up for them. Let’s fill Fortera Stadium. Let’s support Austin Peay. And let’s make sure everyone who comes to Clarksville knows exactly whose house they’re playing in.

Let’s go Peay!

Curtis Johnson