| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1993-09-06)September 6, 1993 (age 32) Argyle, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 221 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Argyle |
| College | Arkansas (2018) North Texas (2018–2022) |
| NFL draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Austin Palmer Aune (/ˈɔːni/AW-nee; born September 6, 1993) is an American formerfootballquarterback. He is a former baseball player who was drafted by theNew York Yankees in the second round of the2012 MLB draft. He played six seasons in theminor leagues before being released. He then enrolled atNorth Texas, and was the oldest starting quarterback inFBS football at the age of 29.[1]
Aune attendedArgyle High School inArgyle, Texas. A two-sport star, he was the starting quarterback and also played shortstop on the baseball team. As a senior, he threw for 33 touchdowns and 3,411 yards while rushing for 9 touchdowns and 538 yards.[2] A three-star quarterback prospect, he originally committed toTCU to playcollege football. But after being selected by theNew York Yankees in the second round of the2012 MLB Draft, Aune was offered a $1 million signing bonus to sign for the Yankees and so he chose to play professional baseball over collegiate football.[3][4][5]
Aune played six seasons ofminor league baseball in theNew York Yankees'farm system. During his tenure in the minor leagues, he recorded 20home runs and 148RBIs.[6][7] After bouncing between severalHigh-A andSingle-A teams and switching from shortstop to outfielder, Aune had a careerbatting average of .226 with 20 home runs and 147 RBI. On August 1, 2017, Aune was released by New York.[8] In his time in the Yankees system, Aune appeared for the rookie-levelGulf Coast Yankees, Low-AStaten Island Yankees, Single-ACharleston RiverDogs, and High-ATampa Yankees.[7][9]
In 2018, months after being released by the Yankees, a 24-year-old Aune joined theArkansas Razorbacks for their 2018 spring practice. He enrolled as a student, but the crowded quarterback room convinced him to transfer toNorth Texas instead.[10]
Arriving at North Texas in 2018, heredshirted his freshman year. In 2019, he served as the third-string quarterback behindMason Fine and Jason Bean, completing 4 of 5 passes for 136 yards in two appearances at quarterback. During the 2020 season, he backed up Bean while making eight appearances and three starts.[11][12]
After starting the season as a backup to junior transfer Jace Ruder, Aune won the starting position after week 5 and lead the Mean Green from a 1–3 start to a 6–6 finish in order to becomebowl eligible, including an upset win over#22 UTSA, before losing to theMiami RedHawks in the2021 Frisco Football Classic.[11]
Going into the2022 season, Aune maintained his starting position against a crowded quarterback roster including Memphis transferGrant Gunnell, leading the Mean Green to a 7–5 record and earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors in week zero.[13] During the2022 Conference USA Championship Game, Aune set aschool record for touchdown passes in a single season with 32, surpassing former teammate Mason Fine.[14] Aune played his final career game in the2022 Frisco Bowl, throwing for 238 yards and a touchdown in a 32–35 defeat.[15] After the game, Aune declared for the2023 NFL draft.[16][17] Shortly after the end of the season, Aune changed his mind and entered his name in theNCAA transfer portal.[18] On January 2, 2023, Aune withdrew from the transfer portal and redeclared for the upcoming NFL Draft.[19] Aune finished his collegiate career with a 13–13 record as a starter, with 488 completions for 7,324 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions.[20]
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| North Texas Mean Green | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Redshirt | |||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0–0 | 4 | 5 | 80.0 | 136 | 27.2 | 1 | 0 | 374.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 8 | 3 | 1–2 | 101 | 185 | 54.6 | 1,650 | 8.9 | 13 | 4 | 148.4 | 27 | 29 | 1.1 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 9 | 5–4 | 151 | 295 | 51.2 | 1,991 | 6.7 | 9 | 9 | 111.8 | 80 | 325 | 4.1 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 14 | 14 | 7–7 | 232 | 411 | 56.4 | 3,547 | 8.6 | 33 | 15 | 148.1 | 44 | 52 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| Career[21][12] | 37 | 26 | 13–13 | 488 | 896 | 54.5 | 7,324 | 8.2 | 56 | 28 | 137.5 | 151 | 406 | 2.7 | 6 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | 4.88 s | 1.64 s | 2.63 s | 4.23 s | 6.95 s | 27 in (0.69 m) | 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) | ||
| All values fromPro Day[22] | ||||||||||||
On May 1, 2023, Aune was invited to theAtlanta Falcons rookieminicamp.[23] He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent on May 16, 2023.[24] He was waived by the team on June 16.[25]
Aune is the son of Greg and Karen Aune.[26] Austin Aune married Kristin Massey in May 2021,[27] and they have a daughter.