It was 364 days ago that Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III suffered a foot injury that would ultimately end his season. Friday night, he stepped into an NFL stadium for the first time and proved he hasn’t lost an ounce of speed. After Austin took gained 17 yards on jet sweep on his first touch, QB Mason Rudolph hit Austin for a second half 67-yard touchdown on a go-route down the left sideline.
Take a look at the play.
A strong throw from Rudolph but Austin flashed his 4.32 speed, running past the Buccaneers right cornerback and running the rest of the way into the end zone.
It’s what Austin has displayed throughout the summer. After a quiet first few days, Austin heated up and made big play after big play. As we noted through our camp stats, the majority of Austin’s receptions during the 11 vs 11 period were explosive plays or touchdowns.
And how do you celebrate your first NFL score? Handing that football to your dad.
It was the Steelers’ second explosive passing touchdown of the night. Earlier in the game, Kenny Pickett hit George Pickens for a 33-yard score. RB Anthony McFarland Jr. also added a 14-yard touchdown run.
At the moment, Austin has two carries for 23 yards with two receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown on four targets. He currently leads the Steelers in rushing and receiving yards.
As of this writing, Pittsburgh leads Tampa Bay 27-7 midway through the third quarter.
