Around the WVU football fandom, we have a saying – "once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer." And there was no doubt that WVU football legend Tavon Austin falls into that category. On Saturday, he added a college degree from the school to his list of accomplishments that helps validate that.
Austin, who starred from 2009 to 2012 for the Mountaineers and was a two-time first-team All-American during his time with the program, never finished his bachelor's degree before heading off to start an NFL career. Now, he has tied up loose ends, returning to the school and finishing the required work to earn a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. He officially graduated on Saturday during the winter commencement ceremony at the university.
Finished what he started.
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) December 21, 2025
Congratulations👏 @Tayaustin01 pic.twitter.com/QWBtFxAJb0
Austin played in 52 games during his time at West Virginia, spending time under both Bill Stewart and Dana Holgorsen. He finished his career with 3,413 receiving yards, 2,407 kick return yards, 1,043 rushing yards, 433 punt return yards, and 40 all-purpose touchdowns, and won Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile, high-level performer in major college football in 2012.
Austin proceeded to play ten seasons in the NFL from 2013-2021, playing for the Rams, Cowboys, Packers, and Jaguars and the Bills. He finished his NFL career with 2,034 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns, 1,512 punt return yards and three punt return touchdowns, and 1,340 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He officially announced his retirement in 2024 after a two-year absence from the league.