Blessuan Austin: More to Come

During Rutgers' 2018 season opener against Texas State, Blessuan Austin was playing arguably the best game of his collegiate career. The senior cornerback already had three tackles – including two for loss – when a pass from Bobcat quarterback Willie Jones III came in his direction.

Austin came down with the over-the-shoulder interception, but when his teammates went to help him up, he remained on the HighPoint.com Stadium turf gripping his knee. Austin left the game and did not return. A few weeks later, head coach Chris Ash announced his star defender would not return in 2018.

"I honestly did not [know I had a serious injury] because I was able to run and do all those things on the sideline, but it just did not feel right," Austin said. "I was not comfortable going back out there, with the way things were feeling."

Just like that, his playing days as a Scarlet Knight were over.

Unfortunately, Austin has been down this road before. After starting the first four games of the 2017 season, Austin went down with a knee injury at Nebraska. He missed the rest of that campaign with a torn ACL, but was expected to have an impact season in 2018 after mulling whether to declare for the NFL Draft.

Though disappointed, Austin has kept a positive attitude throughout the season. He said he has lent an ear to the younger players on the roster, helping them navigate their first few years with the program.

"I just took it as, things happen when you play the game," Austin said. "I mean at the end of the day, all I have to do is control what I can control, which is how I bounced back from getting hurt in that first game and supporting my teammates."

Austin has also kept his focus on rehab as he continues to prepare for a shot at the next level. Prior to his injury, many believed Austin would be selected in next April's NFL Draft, and his film and stat line back up those projections.

The Queens, New York, native has appeared in 27 career games for Rutgers, including 11 in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Austin was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection in 2016 after he ranked second in the conference and 12^th nationally with 1.4 passes defended per game.

Austin started 10 contests as a true freshman out of Milford Academy in 2015 and totaled 33 tackles four pass breakups and a forced fumble. At Wisconsin on Halloween, he recorded a 50-yard interception return for his first career touchdown.

In total, Austin closed out his time "On the Banks" with 89 tackles (including 67 solo stops), 23 passes defended, five tackles-for-loss, four interceptions, two sacks and a forced fumble.

"I have chance at the next level still, regardless of the injury," Austin said. "So what I am going to do is prepare my body the best I can prepare and hopefully somebody takes a shot on me and I can show them that they did not waste their time."

As Austin moves forward with his preparations, he admits he looks back from time to time on what could have been if he had not gotten hurt. He also looks back on all of the good times with his teammates in the locker room and out on the field.

"I really enjoyed it [here at Rutgers]," Austin said. "I really like the man I became coming here and going through the adversity I went through, becoming a guy and now I feel that everything that happened to me is for the better."

Austin's body of work suggests his acrobatic interception in the season opener was not his last. For now, he will let his film, stat sheet and determination to continue his playing career do the talking.

"I feel pretty positive about how I played here at Rutgers because the statistics and the amount of games I played, I feel like it is off the charts, some guys do not have that their all careers, so I am blessed to give the type of production that I gave in the few games I did play here at Rutgers."

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