Patrick Peterson wasn’t a Pittsburgh Steeler last year. He didn’t get to see rookie WR Calvin Austin III show his burners in OTAs or the couple weeks of training camp before suffering a season-ending foot injury ahead of the team’s first preseason game. To start spring practices, Austin was truly a nameless, gray face.
Not anymore.
On the latest episode of the All Things Covered podcast featuring Peterson and co-host Bryant McFadden, Peterson told the story of taking Austin 1v1 during the Steelers’ first week of OTAs. And though the pass fell incomplete, Peterson got an immediate taste of what Austin is bringing to the table. And all he had was one thought.
“That joker’s fast.”
Peterson said the play happened during a 7v7 session with the defensive play call mandating Peterson to press Austin at the line of scrimmage. The two lined up on the outside, offering the first hint that Austin wasn’t your typical “quick not fast” slot receiver.
“I ain’t ever seen Austin before,” Peterson said. “All I know is he’s a little guy and he’s outside. If he’s a little guy outside, he must got wheels. But I’ve never seen him in action. He made a little move, he may have gotten an arm length ahead of me. But I ended up giving him one of my tug and pulls to get me back in position to make the play.”
As Peterson was adamant to note, the pass fell incomplete. But he could feel the wheels Austin had and had he not pulled out one of those “vet moves,” a slight tug on the jersey referees probably wouldn’t catch or call, Austin had him dead to rights.
When the secondary finished practice and went back into the meeting room, Peterson received a couple apologies from his coaches.
“Coach Grady Brown comes back in film, ‘We all owe Pat P an apology. We didn’t tell him 19 had wheels like this,'” Peterson said.
That’s secondary coach Grady Brown and of course, Austin sports #19. Peterson said the rule is the secondary must always know who is the fastest receiver they’re facing so no one gets surprised by a heavy dose of speed. In Pittsburgh, Austin’s the fastest dude, running 4.32 40 at the 2022 NFL Combine, the fifth-fastest time of anyone at Indy that year.
“I said, ‘You dang on right, ya’ll owe me an apology,'” Peterson said. “I’m in Year 13, got a million miles on the tires and y’all ain’t even tell me this man runs a 4.2.”
Peterson told the story with a smile on his face. Better for a teammate to nearly burn him than anything that happens in a game. But with Austin missing his rookie year due to a foot injury, always extra concerning for a player built on speed, it was fair to wonder how he’d look knocking off the rust this spring. If that one play is any indication, Austin still has his speed. He’ll just have to wait until August to get into a game and show it off to everyone else, including some opposing DBs who will be finding out about his wheels for the first time, too.
Catch the whole episode with Peterson and McFadden below.
