Miles Austin

Miles Austin

Miles Austin at the Time Warner Cable booth at the State Fair of Texas on September 29, 2009.
No. 19     Dallas Cowboys
WR
Personal information
Date of birth: June 30, 1984 (1984-06-30) (age 27)
Place of birth: Summit, New Jersey
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	Weight: 215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College: Monmouth
Undrafted in 2006
Debuted in 2006 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl Selection (2009, 2010) PFWA Most Improved Player of the Year (2009) CBS' All-Iron Award (2009) Cowboys franchise record 250 receiving yards in single game
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2010
Receptions	168
Receiving Yards	2,715
Receiving TDs	21
Stats at NFL.com

Miles Jonathon Austin III (born June 30, 1984) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Monmouth.

Early years

He was born in Summit, New Jersey to parents Ann and Miles Austin, who were born in Nebraska and New Jersey and brother to Jennifer Austin.^[1][2] Austin grew up in in Garfield, New Jersey and attended Garfield High School^[3] and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track and field. In football, he played wide receiver and defensive back, and as a senior, he won All-Bergen County honors and All-State honors, under high school coach Tony Kostelnak. In basketball, Austin garnered All-Bergen County honors as well. In track and field, Austin participated in the 100 meter dash, long jump, triple jump, and the javelin throw. He recorded the third-longest javelin throw in Bergen County history with a throw of 214 feet, 8 inches. Austin finished third in the triple jump at the New Jersey Meet of Champions in 2001.

College career

During his college football days at Monmouth University, Austin caught 150 passes for 2,867 yards and 33 touchdowns. He is the school record-holder in receiving yards. Austin rushed 15 times for 140 yards and one touchdown.^[4] In 2003, Austin set a Monmouth single-season record for touchdown catches with 12.^[4] He ran 4.47 second 40 yard dash and jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical leap at the 2006 NFL combine.^[5][6]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

In his rookie season of 2006, he returned 29 kickoffs for 753 yards and recorded 5 tackles.^[7] His main highlight of the year was in the Cowboys playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. He returned 3 kickoffs for 136 yards in the game, including a 93 yard touchdown return. In the 55 postseason games in franchise history, it was the Cowboys' first ever kickoff return touchdown in the playoffs.

2009 season

Austin (#19), running away from Mike Vrabel (#50) and Mike Brown (#30), against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009.

With the release of Terrell Owens, Austin started the regular season as the Cowboys' No. 3 receiver. During free agency, the New York Jets looked at Austin but did not offer him a contract, possibly because they would have had to give the Cowboys a second-round draft pick in order to sign him.^[8] Before the year, Football Outsiders rated Austin as the top prospect in football on their Top 25 Prospects list.^[9]

Austin got his first NFL start on October 11, 2009 against the Kansas City Chiefs, as a replacement for injured Roy Williams. Austin had 10 catches for 250 yards (a Cowboys record for receiving yards in a single game, breaking Bob Hayes' 246-yard effort in 1966 against the Washington Redskins) and 2 touchdowns including the 60-yard game winner in overtime. Austin made his second career start on October 25 against the Atlanta Falcons replacing Patrick Crayton as the No. 2 receiver. Austin solidified his place as a starting receiver with 171 receiving yards along with 2 touchdowns. After only two weeks as a starting wide receiver, Austin was the ninth-most productive receiver in the National Football League going into Week 8, and moved up to eighth just four weeks later having caught his 8th touchdown against Oakland on Thanksgiving Day. Against the Giants in week 13 he had 10 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.^[10]

December 29, 2009, Austin was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl, his first. He went on to lead the NFC (third overall in the NFL) with 1320 receiving yards for the 2009 season. He also tied for first in the NFC with 11 receiving touchdowns which was tied for third in the NFL for receiving touchdowns in only starting 11 games in the 2009 season.

2010 season

On September 9, 2010, Austin agreed to a six-year contract extension that will kick in beginning in 2011. The deal includes $18 million in guaranteed salary. Austin signed a $3.168 million contract in June 2010. Austin's extension is worth $54 million, bringing the total value of his contract to $57 million.^[11]

With 10 catches in each of the first two games of the 2010 season, Austin became the second player in Cowboys history to record double-digit catches in consecutive weeks.^[12] On Thanksgiving, Austin scored a 60 yard touchdown on an end-around. However, the Cowboys lost 30-27 to the New Orleans Saints. He finished the season with 69 catches for 1041 yards and 7 touchdowns. He made his second consecutive Pro Bowl in 2010, replacing DeSean Jackson who sprained his MCL during practice for the Pro Bowl.^[13]

Austin Family Foundation

In 2011, Austin founded The Austin Family Foundation with help from his family. The Austin Family Foundation’s mission is to support and promote youth programming, in lower income areas, that focuses on character development and community involvement. The Austin Family Foundation currently supports the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute and the Garfield Boys' and Girls' Club.

References

1. ^ Weinberg, David. "Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin making New Jersey proud", The Press of Atlantic City, November 5, 2009. Accessed February 17, 2011. "Austin is a Summit, N.J., native, who attended Garfield High School."
2. ^ "Miles Austin: Dallas Cowboys' overnight sensation | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News". Dallasnews.com. 2009-10-31. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/110109dnsponichols.3f61aff.html. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
3. ^ Dallas Cowboys Website
4. ^ ^{a b} "2008 Monmouth Football Media Guide". http://www.gomuhawks.com/fls/14300/pdf/MediaGuides/2008/08%20FB%20MG.pdf?SPSID=67825&SPID=7664&DB_OEM_ID=14300. 
5. ^ "2006 NFL Combine Results". http://www.thehogs.net/Draft2006/combine/2006CombineResults1.php. 
6. ^ "Miles Austin: From undrafted free agent to superstar wide receiever [sic] - ESPN Dallas". Sports.espn.go.com. 2009-10-30. http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/columns/story?columnist=macmahon_tim&id=4607242. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
7. ^ "Miles Austin's (2006) Main Highlight". Website, Youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmo1OwlbDTo. Retrieved October 11, 2009. 
8. ^ "New York Jets to Host Cowboys WR Miles Austin, Report Says".
9. ^ "Prospects Gone Wild". http://www.rotoworld.com/content/features/column.aspx?sport=nfl&columnid=64&articleid=34411. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 
10. ^ "NFL Stats: by Player Category". Nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=0&statisticCategory=RECEIVING&conference=null&season=2009&seasonType=REG&d-447263-s=RECEIVING_YARDS&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-n=1. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
11. ^ "Miles Austin agrees to 6-year extension". http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5551668. 
12. ^ "Austin has enticing matchup Week 3". http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3035455/austin-has-enticing-matchup-week-3.html. 
13. ^ http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20101125_NO@DAL

External links

• Dallas Cowboys bio
• Monmouth Hawks bio

• Miles Austin on Facebook
• Miles Austin on Twitter