Back in the slot
Cowboys WR Austin enjoys healthy camp for a change
OXNARD, Calif. – Miles Austin wishes he’d kept a journal of how he felt during each of his eight training camps with the Dallas Cowboys.
The receiver can be sure of one thing: This year’s entries would be a lot more upbeat than those from the previous two seasons.
Austin hasn’t missed any time because of hamstrings that not only slowed him in camp the past two years but eventually took away his standing as Tony Romo’s top target. The 29-year-old hasn’t been as flashy in California as Dez Bryant, Romo’s new No. 1. But he’s been a steady presence, especially in the slot.
More importantly, Austin’s only idle time in camp has been the routine break given to players with his experience.
“Don’t miss any games,” Austin said when asked about his goals for 2013. “Don’t miss any time. Stay healthy. Play at a high level. Be a deciding factor in winning some of the games this year.”
That last goal is how Austin went from an undrafted free agent out of lower-division Monmouth to a potential star. He had a franchise-record 250 receiving yards in his first start against Kansas City in 2009, including a game-winning 60-yard touchdown in overtime.
The win against the Chiefs started a surge that led to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and 18 touchdowns over two years for Austin, who had only 354 yards in his first three years with Dallas.
The hamstring trouble first surfaced in training camp two years ago. Although he got healthy enough to start the first two games he was sidelined six of the next 10 games.
Austin had more trouble with his hamstrings in camp last year. He played in all 16 games and started 15, finishing with a respectable 943 yards. But his six touchdowns were the fewest since the year before his breakout game at Kansas City.
“Miles dealt with a lot of injuries last year and really wasn’t himself,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “It has a lot to do with the kind of person he is, to kind of figure it out. It’s good to see him healthier, good to see a spring in his legs, a little bounce in his step. He’s had a good camp.”
Coaches say Austin often worked too hard, which was a big part of the problem with his hamstrings. Even though his salary (six-year, $54 million) looked like something for a star drafted in the first round, he never stopped practicing like the unknown from a tiny university. Most of the focus with Austin now is on making sure he doesn’t try to do too much, or quality repetitions over quantity, as Garrett put it.