In just his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver Calvin Austin III already has the respect and admiration of his teammates on and off the field.
Austin, who missed his entire rookie season with an injury suffered in training camp before making his debut this season and providing the Steelers with some big plays, was named the Steelers’ recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award Tuesday, the team announced.
The award is given to a player who has shown courage either coming back from an injury or a life-altering situation. Austin, obviously, missed all of 2022 but has come back strong.
“It always means a lot to be selected by your teammates,” Austin said of the award, according to a press release from the team. “Obviously, my first year in the league didn’t go as expected, but it means a lot that they’ve seen how hard I worked to recover from that injury, and it feels good to finally be out there with my team on Sundays.”
So far this season, Austin has played 266 snaps offensively and another 35 snaps on special teams. In his first full NFL season, Austin has 15 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown, hauling in a 72-yard touchdown in Week Three on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football. Austin also has 77 yards on 13 punts returns for the Steelers.
The Ed Block Courage Award, started in 1984, annually honors one player from every NFL team who exemplifies commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Recipients are selected by a vote of their teammates to recognize both on- and off-the-field extra efforts along with their ability to overcome great adversity, be it personal or professional. The award is named in honor of Ed Block, the long-time head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts.
