These are the ‘Michael Irvin-ish’ traits Tavon Austin is bringing to Cowboys camp
One question facing the Dallas Cowboys following the departure of Dez Bryant was finding someone to replace the passion and energy he brought to the practice field.
That has seemingly been answered by the addition of receiver Tavon Austin, who has been called the spark plug of the group and compared by owner Jerry Jones to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin for the energy he brings.
Of course, this begs the obvious question regarding Austin and the general optimism about what impact he is expected to have on and off the field for the Cowboys in 2018.
Why didn’t it work out with the Los Angeles Rams for the former No. 8 overall pick in 2013?
And more to the point, if Rams coach Sean McVay, the latest celebrated offensive genius in the NFL, couldn’t use him in 2017, why will it be different in Dallas under coordinator Scott Linehan, who has been accused of being less than imaginative?
Maybe the answer lies in Austin himself.
The 5-foot-8 speedster with boundless chatter and energy was admittedly low in wattage last season with the Rams because of a poor attitude over limited playing time caused by a frustration over injuries.
“My work ethic went out the window,” Austin said. “I’m not saying I wasn’t working hard, but it went out the window. I didn’t work as hard as I used to do. After last year it showed me when I sat and rode that bench last year, you’ve got to respect it. You’ve got to put in the work.
“Steph Curry can shoot 2,000 shots a day, why are we not doing the same thing with a football catching it? And that showed me a lot about it, and that’s why I started taking that approach.”
Leading by example
His approach has been evident in camp with the Cowboys. He routinely leads the receiver group in carrying bricks after practice. Receivers coach Sanjay Lal says he leads by example with his approach to practice. He is the guy he can point to as an example to the young players how to do things right.
Lal went as far as calling him an Energizer bunny.
Jones went a step further when he compared Austin to Irvin, whose work ethic, energy and motivational techniques were a legendary staple of three Super Bowl title teams.
“I like the energy that No. 10 is bringing,” Jones said of Austin. “That’s inordinate because just by the nature of how we got him here and his pedigree, for him to bring along that really, it’s Michael Irvin-ish as far as the energy that he brings. I know the guys appreciate him. I certainly do from my perspective to have that kind of impact on his teammates at a time you have to call on it … training camp.”
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, who played with Irvin, didn’t run from the comparison.
“Anybody who has been around Michael knows he is one of the great competitors that we have ever been around and one of the great teammates we ever been around,” Garrett said. “He came to work every day and had so much juice. He loved to work and loved to compete and it was contagious throughout the team. And our time with Tavon he has shown a lot of the same kind of things. He loves ball. He works at it. He loves to come out in practice and compete with the guys. A little bit of a chip on his shoulder, which is a good thing for him and a good thing for our football team”
Austin said this is who he has always been. Last season just took a toll and caused him to hit rock bottom.
“That’s who I’ve been since I was 6 years old,” Austin said. “Anybody could definitely tell you that … I’ve always been a front-runner type of guy. I’ve never been in the bottom of the barrel, but I’m glad I did hit the bottom because it showed me a lot.”
Vision for Austin
And while he may never live to the lofty expectations placed on him as a top-10 draft, he is showing the Cowboys that he can be an important part on revamped receiver corps starving for impact players following Bryant’s departure.
Lal said Austin is more than just a gadget guy. He can make plays downfield as a receiver because teams have to respect him on the deep stuff, opening up the comebacks and underneath routes.
And the more they are able to use him on the regular offense it allows the gadgets on reverses and runs out of the backfield to be more effective.
“It’s all about getting the ball in space for me,” Austin said. “That’s all I really want, get the ball in space and have a little fun and show what God blessed me with.”
The thing that he appreciates most is that the Cowboys have a vision for how they want to use him, which was not always to the case with Rams.
“That’s a big difference because at the end of the day when you go somewhere else and then you feel wanted and they’re going to give you opportunities,” Austin said.
It’s also true that he’s also motivated by things not working out with the Rams as former No. 1 pick, who was essentially given away to the Cowboys for a sixth-round draft pick. It has put another log on his fire.
The Cowboys aren’t getting caught up in Austin’s failures with the Rams. They like the player they got and hope to be the beneficiary of a big payoff.
“I think we all develop chips on our shoulder for whatever reasons throughout our life,” Garrett said. “Sometimes those chips get layered by different experiences for different reasons. I do think it’s a good thing.”
This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 6:15 PM.