Player News - AJ Long's Playing Career Done

According to his recent Instagram post, quarterback A.J. Long's collegiate playing career has come to an end. Long, who had been named a team captain for 2019, finished last season 149 of 220 for 2,131 yards and 23 touchdowns. His passer efficiency rating of 178.1 was tops in the PSAC and second in all of Division II. When his 734 yards and 8 touchdowns rushing are considered, he stood at 20th on the NCAA Division II points responsible for list last year.

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Dear Football, For 20yrs of my life I've played and loved playing this game...You will always be my first love, but the time has come when I can't love you as a player anymore. Ive accomplished so much as a player in this game, winning championships in every level, being highly decorated for playing at a high level, and breaking records....but none of those things are what I'll miss most.... I'll miss the 6am workouts, the long August days in camp, all of the clowning around that goes on in the locker room, but most I'll miss all my teammates. To my teammates, Past and present, Thank you!! You've made this journey one that words won't do justice I'm forever indebted to all of you. We had alot of fun on the field, and we had even more fun off it. Those memories I'll cheerish for a lifetime. I love yall❤️ To all my coaches, Thank you, thank you for giving this 6ft lanky kid an opportunity to prove to the world what I knew and that is when I stepped in those lines I was the best player out there. Thank you, for helping mold and guide me into being a great young man that would be role model to society, giving me the tools to one day take the same role you are in. I am forever grateful to all of you! To my brothers & sisters, Blood or by choice, thank you for all the support and comparisons to super heros, for all the hype and all of the love, y'all fueled my fire more than anything because I never wanted to let y'all down, and show you if you're brother could do anything, you can too. Now, it's my turn to hype y'all up and make everyone believe in you the way you did me. You're Big Brother, Little Brother love y'all more than I can ever express❤️ To Angela, Damon, Isla, Thank you for always supporting me, even when I would be away for months at a time, for spending thousands of dollars to take me all over gods green earth so I could showcase my talent and make other people believe the way y'all did. For keeping me grounded and never letting my head get too big. For working hours on hours that went thankless. For having my back even when I was wrong ❤️ I love y'all sooooo muchhhh Dear Football, Allow me to reintroduce myself my name is Coach Long! 1out✌🏽

A post shared by Aj Long (@_qb01) on Mar 4, 2019 at 7:48am PST

Long began his college career at Syracuse when in 2014, as a true freshman, he started five games and completed 89 of 165 pass attempts for 935 yards. The following year at Syracuse, he did not play as he was medically disqualified by the school due to multiple concussions. In his only start for the Golden Rams in 2017 at Lock Haven, Long earned PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week when he threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 181 yards and two more scores, accounting for 379 total yards and all four offensive touchdowns. He finished 2017 with 453 yards and six touchdowns passing and 380 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

Dual-threat quarterback AJ Long (Photo Ron Hockman)

At this year's team banquet, Long was named the Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year. He was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Month for September and PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week for the wins at Kutztown and at Slippery Rock. Long was named PSAC Championship Game Most Valuable Player, First Team All-PSAC East, All-ECAC and Second Team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One.

The Golden Rams will likely turn to senior Paul Dooley at quarterback. Dooley was 163 of 305 for 2,372 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2017, but played in just three games in 2018, going 11 of 18 for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Piperno (12 of 24, 157 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, in 8 games) and Zach Gilbert (2 of 4, 25 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, in 4 games) also saw time at quaterback this past year.

West Chester's four quarterbacks - Zach Gilbert, AJ Long, Mike Piperno and Paul Dooley - after winning the PSAC Championship at Slippery Rock
(Photo Ron Hockman)

The Daily Orange - 4 years since being medically disqualified, AJ Long reflects on self-doubt from football