Austin another speedy option

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Touchdown maker... West Virginia sophomore receiver Tavon Austin pulls in a pass and goes for a touchdown in a win last season against East Carolina. Austin is just one many small, but fast performers for the West Virginia offense. Contributed photo

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August 25, 2010

By BRIAN WOODSON Bluefield Daily Telegraph The Bluefield Daily Telegraph Wed Aug 25, 2010, 05:00 AM EDT

MORGANTOWN — Noel Devine and Jock Sanders are fast, and can do much on a football field.

Tavon Austin is fast ... and can do the same thing. And, he might even be faster than either one of them.

No wonder the West Virginia offense has a chance to be scary good in 2010.

“When you see a Noel or a Jock make a play, you are like, ‘Hey, I did the same thing in high school,’” Austin said. “It will only make me better (playing with them) because I can see where I need to go to get there and do the same things they are doing.”

While Devine and Sanders are two big-play senior weapons for the West Virginia offense, Austin has drawn rave reviews from Bill Stewart, the head coach of the Mountaineers, who was able to bring the highly-touted 5-foot-9, 173-pound tail back and defensive back in from Baltimore’s Dunbar High School last fall.

Hearing compliments is nothing new to Austin, who set Maryland state records in rushing yards (7,962), total yards (9,258) and touchdowns (123) while at Dunbar, leading the Poets to three straight 1-A state titles for head coach Lawrence Smith, who knew talent when he saw it.

“I have been doing this since Pop Warner, but ever since I was in high school, coach Smith always told me I was going to be a special player,” Austin said. “He said I did things a lot of players he had seen couldn’t do.

“It started from there, and coach Stew, not many players and coaches have a relationship like that, he is looking at me as a son. When he sees me on the field, he looks at me sometimes and he said ‘Tav, you are always quick you’re quick, Tav’.

Very. Few players are quicker, at least that is what Austin thought until he arrived at West Virginia, and started watching Devine and Sanders, and went up against defensive teammates Brandon Hogan and Robert Sands.

He quickly learned that even at his speed — which is in the 4.2 second range — there is more to being a receiver at the college level than running really fast.

“With certain coverages your routes change...,” Austin said. “It is a different, a lot of those guys are the same speed as me out there.”

Austin used his speed to West Virginia’s advantage last season with numerous big plays. He caught 15 passes for 151 yards, including 58-yard touchdown reception in a win over East Carolina.

He also returned 17 kicks for a 25.1 yard average, with the highlight being a 98-yard scoring dash on the opening kick in a win over Connecticut.

While Austin was a one-man wrecking crew at Dunbar, he is just part of a unit at West Virginia. He likes it that way.

“It is different, in high school I had some good players around me who can go get the ball,” Austin said, “ but as far as when the ball is in your hands, I haven’t really had to many people that have the same ability that I have.”

Until now. While Austin is expected to be potent force for the Mountaineers, his skills have blended in well with other WVU contributors, including Devine, Sanders, quarterback Geno Smith and others.

“It is a different feeling, but in a way it is a relief,” Austin said. “Everybody really can’t focus in on me now.

“We have a lot of quick people that can do the same thing on the field all at the same time. It makes it better on me and it makes it better for all of them too.”

Austin, who has impressed throughout preparations for the Mountaineers’ Sept. 4 opener with Coastal Carolina, admits to holding back some last season. Not anymore.

“I had those guys in front of me and I had learn from them,” Austin said. “I couldn’t come in and be the man.

“It wasn’t my team at the time so I just had to come in and play my role and whenever my time comes I can step in and do the same thing.”

Another adjustment was the other team. He was suddenly faced with an array of defenses, something that rarely happened at Dunbar.

“In high school in our school they probably played the Cover-3, and that was about it,” Austin said. “I only knew one coverage, that was Cover-3, I never knew about Cover-2 and all the stuff like that so that was the biggest change I had to make.

“Now the defense does so many things that it is harder, but last year I was banged up too much and I couldn’t play up to my full speed. Now coach (Lonnie) Galloway and other players have got me doing good so I can go full speed instead of 4.5 speed.”

Austin knows he’s fast, but he knows he has lots to learn. While media types like to rave about his speed and potential, Austin leans on his grandmother in dealing with that type of praise.

“The way I handle it is I just try to stay humble,” Austin said. “My grandmother says ‘There is somebody out there that is better than you.’

“That is one thing I try to remember. I just keep a picture of my grandmother in my mind.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

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Austin another speedy option

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