Former Rams first-rounder Tavon Austin has officially announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons. Austin shared the news on social media Tuesday, calling it a career with his last game played in 2021.
Austin began his career with the Rams in 2013 after being the eighth overall pick in the draft that year. As a rookie, he caught 40 passes for 418 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries.
He spent five of his nine NFL seasons with the Rams. In those five seasons, he caught 194 passes for 1,689 yards and 12 touchdowns, with another 1,238 yards rushing and nine more touchdowns. In total, he had 3,600 yards from scrimmage and 26 total touchdowns across nine years in the league.
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Austin was one of the most electric players in college football during his time at West Virginia. The Rams selected the dynamic receiver and returner with the eighth overall pick but he never panned out the way many hoped and expected him to. He still had a productive career and was a tough player to defend with the ball in his hands, but as a top-10 pick, Austin came into the league with high expectations.
He finished his career with the Cowboys in 2018 and 2019 before a brief stint in Green Bay in 2020 and Jacksonville a year later.