Playing within a run-oriented offensive scheme, Norwich tight end Andrew Austin does not get his number called that much on offense. As a safety on the defensive side of the ball, Austin’s number is called more than any other player on his team as he leads the team in tackles for the second straight year.
Whether he’s seeing the ball intermittently on offense or aggressively attacking opposing offenses, some how, some way, Austin will find a way to make a big play.
Be it an big catch, an interception, a pass breakup or simply a crushing hit, Austin is one of the Tornado’s key components in a playoff run that commences next week in the first round of the Section IV, Class B playoffs.
“He’s a leader on the field and he is always around the football,” said Norwich first-year head coach John Martinson. Martinson was NHS’s defensive coordinator Austin’s previous two seasons on varsity as well. “He brings it as a hitter on defense. I talked to the rest of the coaches, and the words they used to describe him were intensity, leadership, tough, physical, committed, and focused. Coach (Tom) Stoddard summed it up best when he said, ‘Andrew plays the game like it should be played.’”
Austin presently leads Norwich in receiving, interceptions, and the aforementioned tackles, and he is this week’s Smith-Ford LLC/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
In last week’s 33-6 victory over Sidney, Austin made the hit of the game. On a fourth-and-eight, Sidney’s would-be pass receiver was about to collect a short pass, and possibly gain the necessary yards for a first down. Austin quickly diagnosed the play, and laid a crushing blow on the receiver just a split second after he touched the ball. It was one of those memorable jarring hits that was practically felt by members of the press box.
In the same game, Austin continued his ability to rake in circus catches. He had one reception that he pulled in between his legs. Another was of the conventional variety in which he hauled a 28-yard touchdown pass from Seth Thomsen. He finished the game with three catches for 65 yards, and averages two catches a game on a team that typically passes five or less times per game.
“Andrew is like so many of our players this year. He is so unselfish and he understands his role on the team,” Martinson said. “When we go to the air, he is one of the key guys we go to. If the ball goes up in the air, whether he’s on offense or defense, he goes up and gets it.”
Perhaps Austin’s defining catch this year came in a critical division win over Oneonta two weeks ago, a victory that cemented Norwich’s playoff spot. On a fourth-down pass, Austin outjumped several OHS defenders to pull in a touchdown pass. “There’s something about (Andrew) on either side of the ball that the balls finds a way into his hands,” Martinson said.
Austin finds a way to get the job done with his play on the field, his leadership off the field, and his work ethic in practice. “We have a lot of guys like Andrew this season,” Martinson said, and he specifically cited seniors Alex Williams, Paddy Law, Mike Reilly, Casey Edwards, and Christian Hotaling. “They all understand what football is about.”