Miles Austin

Miles Jonathon Austin III (born June 30, 1984) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for 10 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Austin played college football at Monmouth where he set the school's record for receiving yards.

Miles Austin
Austin with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015
New York Jets
Position:Wide receivers coach
Personal information
Born: (1984-06-30) June 30, 1984
Summit, New Jersey
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:Garfield (NJ)
College:Monmouth
Undrafted:2006
Career history
As player:
As coach:
As executive:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:361
Receiving yards:5,273
Receiving touchdowns:37
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006, Austin spent eight seasons with the team and was named to two Pro Bowls. His most successful season was in 2009 when he led the National Football Conference (NFC) in receiving yards and obtained the Cowboys' record for receiving yards in a single game at 250. In his final two seasons, Austin was a member of the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. He pursued a coaching career following his retirement and became the Jets' wide receivers coach in 2021.

Early years

Austin was born in Summit, New Jersey to parents Miles, an African-American, and mother Ann Austin, a Caucasian, who were born in Nebraska and New Jersey, respectively. He has one sister, Jennifer Austin.[1][2] Austin grew up in Garfield, New Jersey and attended Garfield High School.[3] He was a letterman in football, basketball, and track and field. In football, he played wide receiver and defensive back, and as a senior, he won All-Bergen County honors and All-State honors. In basketball, Austin garnered All-Bergen County honors as well.

Also a standout athlete, Austin was on the school's track & field team, where he was a top competitor in the sprinting, jumping and throwing events. He recorded the third-longest javelin throw in Bergen County history, with a throw of 65.44 meters. He placed third in the triple jump event at the 2001 New Jersey Meet of Champions, with a leap of 13.35 meters. He got a personal-best leap of 6.81 meters in the long jump. In sprints, he had career-best times of 10.8 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.28 seconds in the 200 meters.[4]

College career

Austin played college football for the Monmouth Hawks football team. He caught 150 passes for 2,867 yards and 33 touchdowns. He left the school as the record-holder in receiving yards, which has since been broken by Reggie White, Jr.[5]

Austin rushed 15 times for 140 yards and one touchdown.[6] In 2003, he set a Monmouth single-season record for touchdown catches with 12.[6] He ran 4.47 second 40-yard dash and jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical leap at the 2006 NFL combine.[7][8]

In 2016, Austin was inducted into the Monmouth University Athletics Hall of Fame.[9]

Professional career

2006 season

Austin was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006 by the Dallas Cowboys, making him the first player from Monmouth to appear in the NFL. He made the team based on his potential and was used mainly on special teams, returning 29 kickoffs for 753 yards and recorded 5 tackles.[10] His main highlight of the year was in the Cowboys playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. He returned 3 kickoffs for 136 yards in the game, including a 93-yard touchdown return. In the 55 postseason games in franchise history, it was the Cowboys' first ever kickoff return touchdown.

Austin (#19), running away from Mike Vrabel (#50) and Mike Brown (#30), against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009.

2007 season

Austin was the team's main kickoff returner, ranking third in the NFC and ninth in the league with a 25.5 average on 24 attempts for 612 yards. He set career-highs with six kickoff returns for 166 yards against the Green Bay Packers. He also recorded his first career reception against the New York Jets.

2008 season

Austin had a strong training camp and was contending for the starting position that was open with the departure of Terry Glenn, until spraining his knee in the third preseason game against the Houston Texans. After missing some games with the injury, he exploded against the Green Bay Packers registering 115 yards on two catches for his first career 100-yard game and first touchdown. He suffered a second knee injury against the Washington Redskins and missed three games.

2009 season

With the release of Terrell Owens, Austin started the regular season as the Cowboys' No. 3 receiver. During free agency, the New York Jets looked at Austin but did not offer him a contract, possibly because they would have had to give the Cowboys a second-round draft pick in order to sign him.[11] Before the year, Football Outsiders rated Austin as the top prospect in football on their Top 25 Prospects list.[12]

Austin got his first NFL start on October 11, 2009 against the Kansas City Chiefs, as a replacement for injured Roy Williams. Austin had 10 catches for 250 yards (a Cowboys record for receiving yards in a single game, breaking Bob Hayes' 246-yard effort in 1966 against the Washington Redskins) and 2 touchdowns including the 60-yard game winner in overtime. Austin made his second career start on October 25 against the Atlanta Falcons replacing Patrick Crayton as the No. 2 receiver. Austin solidified his place as a starting receiver with 171 receiving yards along with 2 touchdowns. After only two weeks as a starting wide receiver, Austin was the ninth-most productive receiver in the league going into Week 8, and moved up to eighth just four weeks later having caught his 8th touchdown against the Oakland Raiders on Thanksgiving Day. Against the Giants in week 13 he had 10 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.[13]

December 29, 2009, Austin was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl, his first. He went on to lead the NFC (third overall in the NFL) with 1320 receiving yards for the 2009 season. He also tied for first in the NFC with 11 receiving touchdowns which was tied for third in the NFL for receiving touchdowns in only starting 11 games in the 2009 season.

2010 season
Austin (bottom) and Tony Romo.

On September 9, 2010, Austin agreed to a six-year contract extension that began in 2011. The deal included $17 million in guaranteed salary. He signed a $3.168 million contract in June 2010 and his extension was worth $54 million, which brought the total value of his contract to $57 million.[14] The team paid a very high first year salary ($17 million), by taking advantage that the NFL collective bargaining agreement wasn't renewed, and in the final year of the agreement there was no salary cap system in place. Even though the NFL initially approved the contract, in 2013 commissioner Roger Goodell would penalize the Cowboys by taking $10 million from the team's original $120.6 million salary cap space.[15]

With 10 catches in each of the first two games of the 2010 season, Austin became the second player in Cowboys history to record double-digit catches in consecutive weeks.[16] On Thanksgiving Day, he scored a 60-yard touchdown on an end-around. However, the Cowboys lost 30–27 to the New Orleans Saints.

He finished the season with 69 catches for 1,041 yards and 7 touchdowns. He made his second consecutive Pro Bowl in 2010, replacing DeSean Jackson who sprained his MCL during practice for the Pro Bowl.[17]

2011 season

Austin's 2011 season started well with a 5-catch, 90-yard performance in week 1, followed by a career-best mark for touchdowns in a game with 3 to go along with 9 catches for 143 yards in a week 2 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

In week 14 while playing against the New York Giants to secure the division title and a playoff spot, he lost in the lights of Cowboys Stadium a first down pass from Tony Romo that would have won the game for the Cowboys, who ended losing 34–37 and eventually missing the playoffs.[18]

Austin's 2011 season was marred by nagging hamstring injuries which caused him to miss 6 games and limited him to his lowest reception, touchdown, and yardage output since the 2008 season.

2012 season

After having a disappointing season, Austin started 2012 with 4 receptions for 73 yards while also grabbing a key touchdown in the 4th quarter of a 24–17 upset win over the Super Bowl defending champions New York Giants. The next game was a surprise defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, where he had 5 receptions for 63 yards while also grabbing a touchdown. The next week, in a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Austin had 5 receptions for 107 yards. In the fourth game against the Chicago Bears, he had 4 receptions for 57 yards while also grabbing a touchdown in a losing effort caused by the Cowboys' 5 interceptions. He bounced back with 5 receptions for 97 yards with a touchdown in a victory over the Carolina Panthers. In a Week 13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, he had 2 receptions for 46 yards with a touchdown. Austin's multiple injuries and the emergence of Dez Bryant as the Cowboys' leading wide receiver, hurt his chances of reaching 1,000 yards, but still had a productive year with 943 receiving yards, 66 receptions and 6 touchdowns.

2013 season

Austin looked to bounce back in 2013. After a Week 1 performance with 10 receptions and 72 receiving yards in a victory over the New York Giants, in the next two weeks, he would be held to 5 receptions and 53 receiving yards, while suffering a hamstring injury in the third game. After being shut down by the team in an effort to return him to health, he did not have another reception until a Week 12 victory over the New York Giants. In that game, Austin had one reception for 17 yards followed by another discouraging performance in a Thanksgiving victory over the Oakland Raiders, with one reception for 18 yards. His season would end up being a disappointment after missing five games with a left hamstring injury, never displaying his explosive speed and being held without a reception in two games. Austin finished with his lowest receiving numbers since his second year in the league and his future with the team at risk, taking into account his history of hamstring injuries and rookie Terrance Williams playing well in his absence.

On March 11, 2014, it was announced that Austin had been designated as a post-June 1 release, ending his tenure as a Dallas Cowboy.[19]

Cleveland Browns

Needing to improve their depth at wide receiver after Josh Gordon's suspension, the Cleveland Browns signed him as a free agent on May 15, 2014. He asked for and received permission from former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar to wear number 19, since the number had not been officially retired. Aside from Frisman Jackson briefly wearing 19 in 2004, the number hadn't been issued by the Browns since Bill Belichick controversially cut Kosar in the middle of the 1993 season.[20] Austin became the leader of a young wide receiver corps and filled the possession receiver role, before being placed on the injured reserve list with a kidney injury on December 3.

Philadelphia Eagles

On March 31, 2015, Austin and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $2.3 million.[21] Austin, who was projected to have a big role in a young and inexperienced wide receiver corps, was held to 13 catches for 224 yards and 1 touchdown in 11 games. He had some moments, such as a 39-yard catch and run for a touchdown against the Redskins, but he was still criticized for not producing, as he was held to 0 catches in 5 different games, with a season high of 4 catches for 52 yards. On December 7, 2015, Austin was released by the Eagles.[22]

NFL career statistics

Regular season
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2006DAL 90000.000000.00031
2007DAL 16057615.2350000.00000
2008DAL 1201327821.4633000.00020
2009DAL 169811,32016.360112-2-1.011010
2010DAL 1616691,04115.169779313.360111
2011DAL 10104357913.5537231.55010
2012DAL 16156694314.3496000.00011
2013DAL 1182424410.2200000.00000
2014CLE 12114756812.1312000.00000
2015PHI 1111322417.2391000.00000
Total129703615,27314.6693711948.560193

Postseason
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2006DAL 10000.000000.00000
2007DAL 10000.000000.00000
2009DAL 221111610.5361188.08000
Total421111610.5361188.08000

[23]

Coaching career

Dallas Cowboys

In 2017, Austin was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as a pro and college scouting intern.[24][25][26] He described his role as an "advanced scout" who evaluated receivers and defensive backs.[27] In January 2018, Austin was interviewed for a role as the Cowboys wide receivers coach, which eventually went to Sanjay Lal.[28]

San Francisco 49ers

On February 27, 2019, Austin was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as an offensive quality control coach.[29] He was on the team's coaching staff when they advanced to Super Bowl LIV. After the 49ers' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Austin departed from his role in 2020.[9]

New York Jets

On January 18, 2021, Austin was hired by the New York Jets as their wide receivers coach. The hire reunited Austin with head coach Robert Saleh, who was the 49ers' defensive coordinator while Austin was with San Francisco.

Personal life

Austin briefly dated Kim Kardashian in 2010.[30] In 2014, Austin married his wife, Stacy Sydlo, whom he had met at Monmouth. They have three children together.[31]

Austin returned to Monmouth University in 2018 to complete his college education.[31] He graduated the following year with a degree in political science.[29][9] In 2020, Austin was elected to serve on Monmouth's Board of Trustees.[9]

References
  1. Weinberg, David (November 5, 2009). "Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin making New Jersey proud", The Press of Atlantic City. Accessed February 17, 2021. "Austin is a Summit, N.J., native, who attended Garfield High School."
  2. "Miles Austin: Dallas Cowboys' overnight sensation | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News". Dallasnews.com. October 31, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  3. Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Miles Austin | Monmouth | Cowboys WR". Trackingfootball.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  5. "Monmouth football: White becomes all-time leading receiver in Hawks win over Bucknell". Asbury Park Press. October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  6. "2008 Monmouth Football Media Guide" (PDF). Gomuhawks.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. "2006 NFL Combine Results". Thehogs.net. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  8. "Miles Austin: From undrafted free agent to superstar wide receiever [sic] – ESPN Dallas". Sports.espn.go.com. October 30, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  9. Dudzinski, Morganne (July 1, 2020). "Monmouth University Elects New Board Officers, Trustees". Monmouth University. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  10. "Miles Austin's (2006) Main Highlight". Website, Youtube.com. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
  11. "New York Jets to host Cowboys WR Miles Austin, report says". NJ.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  12. "Prospects Gone Wild". Rotoworld.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  13. "NFL Stats: by Player Category". Nfl.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  14. "Miles Austin agrees to 6-year extension". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  15. "NFL – League sends signal with penalties for Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins". Espn.go.com. March 13, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  16. "Austin has enticing matchup Week 3". Sportsnipe.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  17. "NFL Recap – New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Nov 25, 2010 – CBSSports.com Game Recap". Cbssports.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  18. "Miles Austin owns up to mistake on would-be TD – Dallas Cowboys Blog- ESPN". Espn.go.com. December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  19. Rosenthal, Gregg. "Miles Austin will be released by Dallas Cowboys". NFL.com. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  20. "Miles Austin gets Bernie Kosar's blessing to wear 19 | ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  21. "Philadelphia Eagles sign Miles Austin to one-year deal". Espn.go.com. March 31, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  22. Orr, Conor. "Eagles cut veteran wideout Miles Austin". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  23. "Miles Austin Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  24. Machota, Joe. "Tony Romo participates in individual drills for first time since late August". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  25. "Andre Gurode, Miles Austin Working with Cowboys Scouting Dept ✭". insidethestar.com.
  26. "Miles Austin hopes to stay in Dallas Cowboys scouting department". July 15, 2017.
  27. [email protected], MIKE BUHLER. "Nebraska roots shaped Miles Austin".
  28. "Cowboys interview Colts receivers coach Sanjay Lal, Miles Austin".
  29. Drummond, K.D. (May 13, 2019). "Miles Austin earns college degree while ascending NFL coaching ladder". USA Today. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  30. https://people.com/celebrity/kim-kardashian-and-miles-austin-call-it-quits/
  31. "Back at Monmouth University, Miles Austin has found a new calling -- mentoring". Asbury Park Press. June 1, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
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