College football legend announces his NFL retirement

Oct 22, 2017; London, United Kingdom; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) reacts before an NFL International Series game against the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

One former college legend is officially walking off to Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Longtime NFL receiver and return specialist Tavon Austin announced in a post to Instagram on Tuesday that he is retiring from football. Austin called it “one of the most challenging decisions I’ve ever made” but said that it was “time for me to enter my next chapter in life.”

You can read Austin’s full post below.

Austin, 34, was a first-round pick by the Rams (then still based in St. Louis) in 2013 (No. 8 overall). He would emerge as one of the most electrifying and versatile playmakers in the NFL, peaking in 2015 when he had five receiving touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, and one return touchdown. Austin was also named as a Pro Bowl alternate during the 2014 campaign.

The former West Virginia star Austin was known for his exploits in college too. A two-time All-American, Austin’s highlight film with the Mountaineers remains the stuff of legend.

Austin played nine total seasons in the NFL but had not made a game appearance since the 2021 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars (though Austin was briefly on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills in 2022). Still, Austin’s career highlight reel can stack up with the very best of them, and he recently went viral for a truly wholesome moment with his young daughter as they watched his tapes together .

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