Oct 6, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) carries the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars at The Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY SportsFormer star player for the West Virginia Mountaineers Tavon Austin has made it to the NFL by way of the St. Louis Rams. The Rams have been vocal about their high expectations of Austin this year during his rookie season. He earned great praise during the combine with his running routes and 40-yard dash. This season for the Rams he has 31 receptions for 207 yards as well as 2 TD’s. The Rams are trying to find the perfect combination to keep him in their game as a mainstay with his skill set.
After Monday night’s loss to Seattle, Austin stated,
"“It definitely gets frustrating, just because I know what I can do out there,” said Austin. “I’m really not sure yet, but it’s all going to come together one day and I will be successful.”"
Another former Mountaineer, Bruce Irvin, worked across the field from Austin as he played for the Seahawks. Irvin also remarked on the frustrations of being a rookie and the limited role rookies play in the NFL. Irvin made 8 sacks during his rookie season for Seattle.
Rams coaches think Austin needs to learn that he can’t always return the ball to the house as he did on the collegiate level and that sometimes it’s best to simply secure the ball and get positive yardage. He does get a chance to be on the field during punt and kickoff return.
As far as his alma mater, the West Virginia Mountaineers, Tavon Austin said,
"It’s cool, they’ve just got to keep on pushing and trust in each other and just believe in each other and they’ll get it done."
When Austin lines up on the field for the Rams, he has fellow WVU teammate Steadman Bailey next to him. Bailey is also playing in his rookie season for the Rams.