The term “super senior” has become universally adopted to describe a college athlete who accepts an additional year of eligibility because of COVID. Georgia State’s Aubry Payne falls into a completely different category.
“A pawpaw senior, that’s what we’ll call him,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said.
There is no gray popping into Payne’s blond hair and he’s not close to being AARP-worthy, but he has been granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA and is returning for his seventh season. He’ll turn 25 in October, making him the oldest player in GSU football history.
Payne was starting his college career when some of Georgia State’s incoming freshmen were still in elementary school.
“He’s excited about getting back on the field and finishing up a great career here after a great bowl game,” Elliott said. “He’s a tremendous player, and we’re very fortunate to have him back for that tight end position.”
When Payne walked off the field after the Camellia Bowl on Christmas Day, he figured his football career was over. It was a good way to sign off, too. He had eight catches and two touchdowns in Georgia State’s 51-20 win over Ball State. Plus, he would be getting married in a week, and it was time to move on to the next phase of his life.
But athletics director Charlie Cobb and Elliott had begun to explore the possibilities of having Payne’s eligibility extended. It basically recaptures the 2017 season, when he played only one game at Western Carolina. He soon transferred to Georgia State and sat out the 2018 season. An additional season seemed like a long shot, but Payne was all-in and the administration went to work.
Payne got a call from the compliance department early in February with the news of his approval. That was plenty of time for him to get ready for spring camp. Payne then approached Mallory, his bride of fewer than two months, for approval. She, being enrolled in law school, wanted a minute to think about it before signing off.
“We were both pretty shell-shocked when we got the call,” Payne said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, let’s do it.’ And she’s thinking about it the right way and says we ought to look at the pros and cons, and we ended up coming to the agreement that this is the best thing for me and for the future.”
Payne’s return is a huge plus for the offense. He had 25 catches for 251 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021. He has 47 career receptions and 13 touchdowns in his career, the most by a tight end in program history. Payne, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree, will help soothe the loss of all-conference tight end Roger Carter.
“To have him back is a relief,” Elliott said. “He’s got a great knowledge of the game. He’s well-educated in our offense, he works hard, he’s a good leader and he can catch the football. More importantly, he can catch those touchdowns, for whatever reason he gets a lot of those.”
In fact, this spring Payne may spend as much time as a mentor as he does a target. Redshirt sophomores Kris Byrd and Ahmon Green have limited experience and no career catches; Byrd (6-1, 235) played 13 games in 2021 primarily on special teams, and Green (6-2, 240) has played nine games over two years. Rykem Laney (6-4, 215) is a transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he caught 16 passes for 184 yards and five touchdowns in five games in 2021.
“I started helping Rykem learn the playbook as fast as he can,” Payne said. “And helping Kris and Ahmon and guys like that try to get better in the system. Just having them learn a little bit more stuff that I’ve seen over the years and stuff they’ll see in the future.”
Elliott said, “He’s going to help those young players and bring them along.”
Georgia State will conclude spring camp with the spring game on April 1 at Center Parc Stadium.
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