Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III has been selected as the club’s 2023 Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
“It always means a lot to be selected by your teammates,” said Austin. “Obviously, my first year in the League didn’t go as expected, but it means a lot that they’ve seen how hard I’ve worked to recover from that injury, and it feels great to finally be out there with my team on Sundays.”
Austin was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming the last wide receiver ever drafted by former General Manager Kevin Colbert. But Austin didn’t see the field his rookie year, after suffering a Lisfranc injury during a routine walk through that ended his season before it began.
The Memphis walk-on turned receiving and special teams standout, made waves at the 2022 NFL Combine posting a 4.32 40 time – the fifth fastest among all players. Austin’s full recovery became apparent in Week 3, when he sped past All-Pro corner Marcus Peters to haul in a 72-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett, the longest catch for the Steelers so far this season. The second-year receiver has registered 15 catches for 165 yards and has also made an impact on special teams as a punt returner.