Age: 25
4th
season in pro football & with Cowboys
College: Monmouth
Height: 6’3” Weight: 216
Prelude:
Austin set
school records at Monmouth with 150 catches for 2867 yards (19.1 avg.) and 30
touchdowns over the course of 39 games. Coming out of a Division 1-AA program,
he went undrafted in 2006 and signed with the Cowboys as a free agent. He was
used exclusively as a kickoff returner as a rookie and had a 93-yard TD return
in the postseason loss to Seattle. Austin continued to return kickoffs in 2007
and ’08 and caught a total of just 18 passes for 354 yards (19.7 avg.) and
three TDs in a reserve role. The departure of WR Terrell Owens opened up an
opportunity for Austin, who had demonstrated potential as a deep threat.
2009 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 81
[15]
Most
receptions, game – 10 (for 250 yds.) at Kansas City 10/11, (for 104 yds.) at NY
Giants 12/6
Yards – 1320
[3, 1st in NFC]
Most yards,
game – 250 (on 10 catches) at Kansas City 10/11
Average gain
– 16.3 [10]
TDs – 11 [4,
tied with Roddy White & Visanthe Shiancoe]
200-yard
receiving games – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 5
Rushing
Attempts – 2
Yards – -2
Average gain
– -1.0
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 7
Yards – 157
Average per
return – 22.4
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 29 yards
Scoring
TDs – 11 [14,
tied with four others]
Points – 66
Postseason: 2 G
Pass
receptions – 11
Most pass
receptions, game – 7 vs. Philadelphia, NFC Wild Card playoff
Pass
receiving yards – 116
Most pass
receiving yards, game – 82 vs. Philadelphia, NFC Wild Card playoff
Average yards
per reception – 10.6
Pass
Receiving TDs – 1
Rushing
attempts – 1
Rushing yards
– 8
Rushing TDs –
0
Awards & Honors:
Pro Bowl
Cowboys went 11-5
to finish first in the NFC East while ranking second in the NFL in total yards
(6390). Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Philadelphia Eagles (34-14). Lost NFC
Divisional playoff to Minnesota Vikings (34-3).
Aftermath:
Austin
followed up with 69 catches for 1041 yards (15.1 avg.) and seven touchdowns in
2010, with the loss of QB Tony Romo six games into the season due to a broken
collar bone and the addition of rookie WR Dez Bryant contributing to lowered
production. He was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Hamstring problems limited
Austin to ten games in 2011 but he bounced back by catching 66 passes for 943
yards (14.3 avg.) and six TDs in ’12. After being held to 11 games and 24
catches in 2013, he was released and moved on to Cleveland for 2014, where he
had 47 receptions for 568 yards (12.1 avg.) before being sidelined with a
lacerated kidney. Overall, over the course of nine seasons through 2014, six in
a starting role, Austin has caught 348 passes for 5049 yards (14.5 avg.) and 36
TDs, with 301 of those receptions for 4481 yards and two scores coming with
Dallas. He also returned 89 kickoffs for a 24.1-yard average, all with the
Cowboys.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
