 Austin with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 | |||||||||||||
| No. 19 –Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver /Punt returner | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1999-03-24)March 24, 1999 (age 25) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 162 lb (73 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Harding Academy (Memphis, Tennessee) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Memphis (2017–2021) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2022: 4th round, 138th pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2024 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Calvin Austin III (born March 24, 1999) is an American professionalfootballwide receiver andpunt returner for thePittsburgh Steelers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football atMemphis.
Austin was born March 24, 1999, grew up inMemphis, Tennessee, and attendedHarding Academy.[1] His family consists of his father, Calvin Austin II, and mother, Mimi Austin, and his four sisters: Cami Bea, Claudia-Ruthie, Naomi Pearl, and Bella Rose.
Austinredshirted his true freshman season at Memphis after joining the team as a walk-on.[2][3] During his redshirt sophomore season, he was awarded a scholarship and finished the year with 17 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns.[4] As a redshirt junior, Austin caught 61 passes for 1,053 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC).[5] He repeated as a first-team All-AAC selection after finishing his redshirt senior season with 74 receptions for 1149 yards and eight touchdowns.[6] After the conclusion of his college career, Austin was invited to play in the2022 Senior Bowl.[7]
Austin also ran track at Memphis and was named a second-team All-American in 2019.[8]
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | Punt Return | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | TD | Att | Yds | TD | Ret | Yds | TD | |||
| 2017 | Memphis | 0 | DNP | ||||||||
| 2018 | Memphis | 4 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Memphis | 9 | 17 | 315 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Memphis | 11 | 63 | 1,053 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 20 | 188 | 1 |
| 2021 | Memphis | 12 | 74 | 1,149 | 8 | 1 | 69 | 1 | 5 | 135 | 1 |
| Career | 36 | 156 | 2,541 | 22 | 8 | 169 | 3 | 29 | 323 | 2 | |
| 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 | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft7+3⁄4 in (1.72 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 30 in (0.76 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.32 s | 1.44 s | 2.49 s | 4.07 s | 6.65 s | 39.0 in (0.99 m) | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) | 11 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Austin was selected by thePittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round, 138th overall, of the2022 NFL draft.[11] He was placed on injured reserve on September 1, 2022 due to a foot injury.[12] After Austin aggravated his injury, the Steelers let his return window pass and he was placed on season–ending injured reserve on October 26, 2022.[13] He did not play a down during the regular season, which ended with the Steelers achieving a 9–8 record, denying Austin a playoff appearance.
The Steelers promoted Austin to the 53-man roster for the 2023 season.[14] In week 3 of the season against theLas Vegas Raiders, Austin caught his first NFL touchdown on a 72-yard deep pass from quarterbackKenny Pickett in a 23–18 Steelers victory.[15] In week 16 against theCincinnati Bengals, Austin scored his first rushing touchdown on a 7-yard run as the Steelers won 34–11.[16] He finished his first full season with 17 receptions for 180 yards and one receiving touchdown to go with one rushing touchdown in 17 games and one start.[17] In his postseason debut, Austin scored a receiving touchdown in the 31–17 loss to the Bills in the Wild Card Round.[18]
Austin, along with running backCordarrelle Patterson, was named one of the team's kick returners ahead of the regular season.[19]On September 22, 2024, Austin recorded a career-high 95 receiving yards against theLos Angeles Chargers. During the game, Austin caught four passes in total, one being a 55 yard touchdown catch fromJustin Fields in the fourth quarter.[20]
On October 28, 2024, Austin recorded his first career punt return touchdown, a 73-yard return, as well as his first career multi-touchdown game against theNew York Giants, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[21][22]
Austin finished the 2024 regular season with 36 catches on 58 targets for 548 yards and four touchdowns.[23] Austin and the Steelers achieved a second consecutive postseason berth with a record of 10–7.[24] During the AFC Wild Card playoff matchup with theBaltimore Ravens, Austin caught one pass for 25 yards and returned all of Baltimore's kickoffs for a total of 14 yards. The Steelers lost the game 28–14, ending their 2024 campaign.[25]
Austin is the son of Calvin and Mimi Austin. His father went to college atUniversity of Memphis as well.[26]
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Punt Returns | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2022 | PIT | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | PIT | 17 | 1 | 17 | 180 | 10.6 | 72T | 1 | 11 | 57 | 5.2 | 12 | 1 | 29 | 249 | 8.6 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | PIT | 14 | 6 | 28 | 452 | 16.1 | 55T | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 259 | 11.3 | 73T | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 31 | 7 | 45 | 632 | 14.0 | 72T | 2 | 11 | 57 | 5.2 | 12 | 1 | 52 | 508 | 9.8 | 73T | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
