WVU Sports Hall of Fame
Tavon Austin, a multi-year All-American and WVU's career leader in all-purpose yards, was considered one of college football's most explosive all-purpose players from 2009-12.
Appearing in 52 games and starting 38, the Baltimore native was a 2012 first-team All-American (All-Purpose) by the American Football Coaches Association and Associated Press, while becoming the first player in NCAA history to finish with more than 3,000 career receiving yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Austin earned All-Big 12 Conference First Team honors as a kick returner and receiver and was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Year in 2012. He earned the Paul Hornung Award for most versatile player in the nation and the Jet Award Return Specialist winner in 2012. As a senior, Austin earned seven first team All-America honors as an all-purpose player and three second-team honors as a wide receiver.
Austin is the only player in NCAA history to score a touchdown four different ways in one season (catch, rush, kick and punt return). He passed Avon Cobourne and Noel Devine and set WVU's all-purpose yards record at 7,286 yards. He passed Jock Sanders to establish WVU's career reception record at 288 and passed David Saunders to become WVU's career receiving yards leader with 3,413 yards.
He set WVU's single-game record with 14 catches against Baylor and shattered WVU's single-game all-purpose yards record with a 572-yard performance vs. Oklahoma (the previous record was Garrett Ford Sr. with 356 yards vs. Pitt in 1965). His 572-yard showing was the best performance in the FBS in 2012 and six yards short of the single-game record. Austin and Stedman Bailey set WVU's single-season record for pass receptions with 114.
Austin set the WVU single-game rushing record with 344 yards vs. Oklahoma, breaking Kay-Jay Harris' record of 337 in 2004. With 3,574 all-purpose yards, he set WVU's single-season record with 2,910 yards. Austin ranks second in career touchdown receptions (29), season touchdown receptions (12) and 100-plus receiving-yard games (13).
He finished the 2012 season ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards, third in receptions per game and 13th in receiving yards. Austin finished his career tied for third in the nation with at least one catch in 42 straight games.
In 2011, he was named a first team All-American return specialist by CBSSports.com and Phil Steele, second team by Yahoo and third team by the Associated Press. Austin was First Team All-Big East and the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year. He led the nation in all-purpose yards (198.0 ypg) and caught an Orange Bowl and BCS record four touchdowns on 12 receptions, also a bowl record in the win over Clemson. His four touchdown catches were a WVU bowl and school record, while his 12 catches tied a school record. Austin tallied an Orange Bowl record of 280 all-purpose yards.
As a sophomore in 2010, Austin was named Second Team All-Big East, finishing the season second on the team with 58 receptions for a team-leading 787 yards. Austin led the Mountaineers with eight receiving touchdowns.
In 2009, Austin was named to the All-Big East Freshman Team by ESPN.com. He led off the Connecticut game with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, then the seventh-longest kickoff return in school history.
Austin finished his career with 29 touchdowns on offense and four on special teams. He scored 242 points during his career.
He was selected in the first round with the eighth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Austin played for the Rams until 2017, then Dallas (2018-19), San Francisco (2020), Green Bay (2020), Jacksonville (2021) and Buffalo (2022-present). He has played in 101 NFL games, starting 50. Austin has scored 15 receiving touchdowns, 10 rushing and three punt returns.
