Coming out of the University of Memphis as a fourth-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Calvin Austin III was expected to be an impactful piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the receiver position, thanks to his game-changing speed and tendency to rip off explosive plays in college.
Early in his first training camp, things were going well for Austin. But one day before the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks in August 2022, adversity hit the former Memphis star.
Austin suffered a Lisfranc injury in his foot, which landed him on Injured Reserve. Later in the year, while trying to return, Austin reportedly aggravated the injury, keeping him on the shelf all season.
For the young receiver, that was a devastating blow. But during an appearance on the “Chopping It Up With Swish” podcast on YouTube, Austin stated that his belief in God and the support from teammates and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin helped get him through the tough times and get back to being a contributor in 2023.
“Bro, man, obviously my faith in God helped me through that for sure. That was so tough, man, ’cause that was the last thing I’m thinking would happen. I got goals I’m setting,” Austin said regarding the foot injury that ended his rookie season before it ever even started.
With Austin’s injury, all hope and expectations went out the window. He was the shiny new toy that was put on the shelf immediately after being taken out of the package. It was disappointing from the outside but all the more difficult for Austin on the inside.
Fortunately, he had some great support from Tomlin and his teammates, which surprised him, considering he was just a rookie and the NFL is a business.
“When that happened, man, my pops obviously, for sure, held me down, my whole family, my mom, too. Just having my family support definitely helped. But like, man, honestly…the Steelers organization itself, too. Coach T, he a real one, man,” Austin said of the support he received from the Steelers and Tomlin. “He met with me the next day after I found out I was gonna have to have surgery. He met with me, talked to me, and was like telling me, ‘We believe in you’ and stuff. We was just talking, he was just like encouraging me, reassuring me and stuff.
“….Make sure you staying ready. That’s what real deal made me not even have a chance to phase out or get discouraged and stuff because I’m like, I still need to go and learn everything. Watch the game. So when I come next year, I feel like, ‘Oh, I look like I haven’t missed it.'”
That reassurance from Tomlin and the Steelers and the mindset to help Austin stay locked in throughout the week in meetings, practices, and then on the sidelines for games helped his transition into the NFL game in Year 2.
Once he got back on the field, Austin certainly didn’t look like a rookie, and he made some plays in the process.
Those plays included a 72-yard touchdown on Sunday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 3, a rushing touchdown in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium, and then a receiving touchdown in the AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills, not to mention numerous plays made as a punt returner late in the season.
Going through that adversity as a rookie off the field really helped shape and mold Austin on the field in his second season and led to a strong first foray into the NFL game. Now, he has that experience under his belt, and expectations are set for him entering Year 3 in 2024.
