Of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s many sayings, “big man running, little man hitting” is among the more vivid in terms of imagery that can actually translate to the football field — we’ll leave the cutting of eyelids to the sideline.
Every lover of the game can appreciate a player having success outside of the typical paradigm of their body type. Athletic linemen and undersized defensive backs willing to sacrifice their health to make tackles are the kinds of players that we usually see get credited for that kind of work.
But the Steelers have a third in undersized receiver Calvin Austin III. It’s not hard to notice Austin’s speed when he’s streaking through a secondary uncovered for a big-play touchdown.
He’s turned that speed into a weapon in another way, too, though — as a down-field blocker. If you see a long Steelers run developing this season, chances are, you’ll see No. 19 leading the way down the field.
Steelers running back Najee Harris is 24th in the NFL with 49 carries and his 4.3 yards per carry average is tied for 24th. But he has six explosive runs of 10 yards or longer, which is tied for 18th.
The Steelers running game hasn’t been great on average, but those big runs are really the difference between where the unit is in 2023, compared to where it was last year, when Harris averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
“It’s a huge difference,” said running back Jaylen Warren, who has also taken advantage of the team’s wide receivers blocking. “It’s impressive seeing it out there from him. … It’s no surprise from an effort standpoint.”
That effort is born out of Austin’s football story. A high school track star, he walked onto the football team at Memphis, and knew that he needed to be able to do whatever it took that not only was he fast enough, but tough enough to earn a spot on the football team.
“It’s just the way I play the game,” Austin said. “I just gotta go hard. I’ve had that chip on my shoulder. I was a walk-on. That’s just how I play the game. At Memphis, Coach Norvell, we were a big-time block the safety, (leave the running back) one-on-one with the cornerback team. That was kind of instilled in me from day one. … That was one thing in college that I prided myself in, being a receiver that can make some big-time blocks.”
Austin is a wide receiver. He was drafted because of his skill in catching and running, and he knows that someday, he’s going to get paid based on his production in those areas. That’s his primary job. For him, the focus on blocking is just about pride.
“Seeing your guy make the tackle, especially on a big run, you’re just disappointed in yourself,” Austin said. “You let your boy get tackled. Half the time, it’s just about straining and just playing to the whistle. Blocking, that’s all it is. So, when you see your guy get tackled by the guy you were supposed to be blocking, it kind of reflects on you.”
Austin has had a couple of good mentors in his blocking journey. In addition to Norvell at Memphis, Steelers slot receiver Allen Robinson II is an excellent blocking receiver. And last year, when Austin was a rookie, former Steelers offensive assistant Blaine Stewart showed him some clips of Hines Ward’s blocking prowess.
“I was like, ‘Whoa, they game has changed,”” Austin said. “It’s up to us to still bring that same intensity.”
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