NFL Draft 2013: Tavon Austin Says He Wants to Be Like Marshall Faulk
By Josh Hill
Tavon Austin was a guy that everyone knew would shake up the NFL Draft. The St. Louis Rams were the team that ultimately traded up and selected him and as a result they sent waves through the draft the caused numerous players to fall. But right now, Tavon Austin is only concerned with one group of players, his new teammates.
When asked what it meant to have a team trade up to select him, Austin admitted that he was touched that the Rams wanted him so bad.
“It means a lot,” Austin said. “It means they wanted me. It paid off for me going all the way to them and doing my visit and put me on the board and met all the staff. And they came back to watch me work. So I kind of had a feeling they really ha a lot of interest in me.”
Austin was the prize of the Rams draft and they traded up from the 16th overall spot to grab him at 8th overall. The Buffalo Bills ended up trading back and taking the Rams 16th pick and took a quarterback. But the quarterback they took wasn’t Austin’s teammate from West Virginia, rather the Bills took Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel over Geno Smith.
“It’s really strange,” Austin said when he was asked about being the only skill player picked mid-way through the draft. “Hopefully, more skill positions come — Geno– and if they don’t, I hope the spirits stay high and wherever they end up at, they keep pushing.”
But Austin’s focus is not os much on Geno Smith as it is on Sam Bradford and the Rams offense. Austin said that he hopes Bradford is in St. Louis when he flies out to his new hometown on Friday. Austin also mentioned that he spent a fair share of his time watching Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk in his childhood and hopes he can bring that dynamic to this Rams team.
“We’re not the same weight but we’re almost the same height,” Austin said of Marshall Faulk, who played a Hall of Fame career on the very turf Austin will play his games on. “If he was able to get it done, I’ll be able to get it done.”
Bold words for the Rams newest offensive weapon, but Tavon Austin looks to be a game changer and the Rams are in a good position to benefit greatly from what he has to offer.