West Virginia’s collapse in the second half of the 2012 season saw the Mountaineers lose six of their final eight games, including a blowout at the hands of Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl, after beginning the year 5-0. While that losing streak became the major storyline for WVU, the team could still lay claim to one of the most exciting players in college football: wide receiver Tavon Austin.
On Thursday, Austin was awarded the Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile player in college football. The previous two winners of the award were Stanford’s Owen Marecic and Georgia’s Brandon Boykin.
Below are statements from Austin, Hornung and WVU coach Dana Holgorsen:Tavon Austin:
“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the winner of the prestigious Paul Hornung Award. Whether I am on the field as a receiver, in the backfield or as a returner, I have high expectations for myself, and I have always tried to use my versatility to help my team be successful. I want to thank my coaches and teammates for helping me achieve this honor.”
Paul Hornung:
“I like the way Tavon Austin plays the game. He is tough, he generates yardage almost every way possible and has a nose for the end zone. Tavon Austin is a deserving winner of the Paul Hornung Award. We look forward to having him with us at our banquet in Louisville in February.”
Dana Holgorsen
“Tavon’s play on the field defines versatility, and as I said during the season, he was the most dangerous player in the nation with the ball in his hands. He is deserving of such a prestigious honor, and the program, the University and the state are very proud of him and his accomplishment.”
Austin, a senior, finished the year with 2,910 all-purpose yards, an average of 223.8 yards per game. That average was far and away the best in the Big 12 and second in the nation. He was WVU’s second-leading receiver 1,289 yards and 12 touchdowns and the team’s second-leading rusher with 643 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
Austin’s best performance in a WVU uniform came this year when he tallied 572 all-purpose yards in a 50-49 loss to Oklahoma.
Yeah, he’ll be missed by the WVU faithful.