Tavon Austin

Tavon Austin's Biography

Tavon Wesley Austin was born on March 15, 1990, in Baltimore, Maryland. He is known for his incredible career as a professional football player who earned All-American honors twice and was chosen by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Despite being under pressure to perform, Austin had a successful career, starting at Dunbar High School, where he played football, basketball, and track. He took Dunbar High to three consecutive Class 1A state titles leading as a running back in football. As a senior, Austin covered 2,660 yards with 34 touchdowns. He also returned 12 punts for 446 yards and scored twice. His dynamic and exceptional performance made him a prominent figure in the sports realm, winning him the consensus Maryland Offensive Player of the Year twice and consensus First Team all-state.

More remarkably, Austin set state records for career points, touchdowns, total offensive yards, and rushing yards. In addition to football, Austin was a well-versed athlete in track and field and was a pivotal part of the winning Dunbar 400m relay squad. He also proved his mettle by running a personal best time of 11.47 seconds in the 100 meters at the 2009 1A North Region Meet.

Following his high school career, he accepted a football scholarship from West Virginia University and played for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team from 2009 to 2012. He mainly served as a wide receiver but was also used as a running back intermittently. Throughout his college career, he exhibited dedication and passion for the sport that yielded amazing results and milestones. He secured All-American honors twice. Amid the victory of a 70-33 win in the 2012 Orange Bowl, he established an Orange Bowl record with four touchdown receptions.

Austin delivered spectacular performances throughout his college career and finished in 2012 with 12 receiving touchdowns. Despite his best efforts, West Virginia lost their match against the Oklahoma Sooners, where he posted a career-high 572 all-purpose yards. This didn’t tarnish his reputation; quite the contrary, he bagged the 2012 All-Purpose Performer of the Year, as announced by the College Football Performance Awards association.

Following his spellbinding performances, Austin was the core choice for the St. Louis Rams in the NFL 2013 draft, which led to a reuniting of him with his former teammate, Stedman Bailey. He embarked on his professional NFL journey with an impressive four-year, $12.751 million rookie contract that included a $7.653 million signing bonus. He started his NFL career with pride, scoring 678 return yards on 51 combined return opportunities during kick and punt returns during his first year, marking his prominence as a rising star in the league.

Austin’s NFL career wasn’t always smooth, as his receiving yards saw a dip from 418 yards in 2013 to 242 in 2014. But this didn’t deter Austin who kept up his versatility and excellence as a returner, ranking him 3rd in NFL 2014 with 391 punt return yards, trailing only DeAnthony Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs and Darrell Sproles.

The 2014 season saw Austin being part of an incredible 90-yard touchdown. His dynamic performances earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and he posted career highs in the 2015 season. This culminated in his being the first player since Gale Sayers (1965) to score at least five receiving touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, and one punt return touchdown in a single season.

His career took a significant turn in May 2016, with the Los Angeles Rams picking up Austin’s fifth-year option along with fellow Rams teammate and linebacker Alec Ogletree. However, Austin’s role in the Rams underwent a dynamic shift during the 16 games he played in the season orchestrated by the new head coach, Sean McVay.

In 2018, Austin moved to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick. Despite sustaining a groin injury, Austin portrayed an enhanced performance as a receiver and proved his mettle as a consistent high-level performer.

In 2020, Austin was signed into the San Francisco 49ers but became injured and was released from injured reserve in October. He quickly moved onto the Green Bay Packers for the remainder of the 2020 season. He then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 6, 2021, but faced another injury, leading him to be placed on injured reserve before being activated on September 30. Despite the challenges and obstacles, Austin is well-renowned for his dynamic and versatile role in the field, making him an unforgettable athlete in the world of football.