Tavon Austin has always been undersized, but he was electric in college, nonetheless. And though some might want to discount his NFL career, he racked up over 3,500 yards from scrimmage, remaining a feared rusher, receiver, and return man throughout.
Now that Austin has officially announced his NFL retirement, his highlights are making their way around the internet as people are reminded once again how electric the former West Virginia star was, especially in college.
Tavon Austin Among College Football’s Best
Tavon Austin stands at just 5’8″, but he was always an intimidating figure at every level of football.
Though he hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2021, Austin didn’t officially announce his retirement until recently, effectively ending his nine-year NFL career.
Some say Austin never reached his full potential in the NFL. That may be true, but he was still a nine-year veteran and was effective even in his final season with the Jaguars.
To be honest, his NFL career only feels disappointing because of the pure insanity that was his time at West Virginia. I mean, just check out these highlights:
Name a better college football highlight tape than Tavon Austin’s “Only One.” 🔥😮💨@Tayaustin01 | @WVUfootball
— College Football Network (@CFN365) August 6, 2024
There are no other words needed. The guy was electric.
College Football’s Most Electric Players Include Austin, Reggie Bush
This isn’t meant to be an all-encompassing list of the greatest, most electric players ever, but rather a chance to give Austin his place among the sport’s greats.
Austin racked up over 4,400 yards in four years as both a receiver and a running back for West Virginia. That doesn’t begin to cover his impact as a return man. He scored 44 touchdowns, including five on special teams, and the way he did so was borderline unbelievable.
Austin deserves to be listed in the same breath as the sport’s greatest athletes. He’s on the level of Vince Young, Lamar Jackson, Reggie Bush, and Barry Sanders, the generational players who made fans stop their entire Saturday to watch them play.
Even if he didn’t aspire to the level some of them did in the pros, Austin deserves praise — full stop.
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