Cowboys' Receiver Miles Away From Humble Beginnings

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- So, what about that excursion to Las Vegas last Friday with Tony Romo?

"We beat Oakland on Thanksgiving last Thursday, and Tony called me and said he had an appearance to make in Las Vegas the next day,'' Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin said. "I have a friend in Vegas. So, we took a plane there on Friday, I had dinner with my friend, I got with Tony later and we flew out early Saturday morning. We were off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We were there for about 12 hours. I really have no reaction to people who might have a problem with it. I know I didn't do anything wrong.''

Nothing that has to stay cloaked in Vegas, he said.

After all, Miles Austin is already hitting his NFL jackpot. From his home in Garfield, N.J., to Monmouth University in this cozy town to becoming an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys in 2006, Austin in pro football is now finding his cards turning up aces. His dice are rolling sevens.

He arrives this Sunday at Giants Stadium, where the Cowboys (8-3) battle the Giants (6-5) in a different manner than his three previous visits -- this time, he comes as Dallas' big-play persona. He is Dallas' all-time single-game receiving yardage leader (250 vs. Kansas City in his first NFL start back on Oct. 11, which broke Bob Hayes' record of 246 that had stood for 43 years). He has scored eight receiving touchdowns. He is averaging 106.1 receiving yards per game in his seven Cowboys starts. And 33 of his 42 catches have produced first downs.

He is the epitome of what can happen for an NFL player when his job is not simply a job -- but a vocation of love. Miles Austin took an obscure road and pressed his way toward a golden one.

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Exit 157 off the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey takes you to Garfield, the high school football home of not only Austin but also San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo and former New York Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet. Austin found his way down the parkway to Exit 105 -- to Monmouth University.

It is a school of a little more than 5,000 students that began playing football in 1993. It competes in the Northeast Conference of Division I-AA against colleges including Albany, Wagner, Duquesne and Robert Morris. In the last NFL draft, a Monmouth player was selected for the first time ever -- tight end John Nalbone in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins.

The campus is an hour-and-a-half drive from New York City, the same distance from Philadelphia and only a mile from the Jersey Shore.

This is where Austin became a Monmouth Hawk in 2002.

"We were lucky to get him,'' Monmouth football coach Kevin Callahan said on Wednesday between player meetings in his office. "He didn't have an extensive football background. He didn't play in high school until his junior year. Rutgers wanted him for track. We stayed with it. We signed him in February of 2002. That April, he ran a 10.6 in the 100 meters. Schools then jumped in from everywhere. But we had him locked up then.''

That has often been the case with Austin, including his NFL experience. By the time others realize the bounty he offers, they are too late. He joined Monmouth, though it did not then provide full scholarships.

"He gets here and you could tell he was different from the other players,'' Callahan said. "He was more athletically gifted. As a college freshman he was 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and had the physical stature and body of an NFL player. He was very raw. Soon it was, 'Miles, go by those guys and we will throw it to you.' As he developed we asked him to do more. His football IQ was good. He could do just about anything you asked and he would do it well.''

By the time he was ready to leave in 2006, Austin owned every major Monmouth receiving and several other school offensive records.

But NFL teams wondered if he was simply a small-school wonder. They would visit Monmouth suspecting they had been oversold. Until they saw Austin. He really was as big as advertised. As fast. He certainly possessed that dynamic personality and big smile about which they had been told.

And because of all that, he became the first Monmouth player invited to the NFL scouting combine.

But later, at his pro day, only two teams showed: The Tennessee Titans and Dallas.

"It was like the whole school was there for it,'' remembered Dallas receiving coach Ray Sherman, who then worked for the Titans. "Everyone was so excited. I was excited feeling their excitement. I was on the campus for three or four hours. He was raw in the workout but good. I liked him on film. I liked him at the combine. And then, when I got the chance to spend some time with him, I was more impressed.

"He reminded me of Andre Reed, a big, smart, big-play receiver from a small school. I told Tennessee to draft him and give me the chance to mold him. I jumped on the table for him. It wasn't to be.''

How could an NFL team draft this kid from Monmouth instead of playing it safe and selecting the second- or third-best receiver from, say, Florida? Being wrong on a small-town, small-school receiver can get a scout or coach fired. No NFL team had the confidence or will to draft Austin.

But Dallas called him late during the '06 NFL draft and told him he was a top free-agent signee on its board. Dallas wooed him.

And after Austin's rookie season, Sherman joined the Cowboys as receivers coach.

"I think they thought he was just going to be a kick returner,'' Sherman said. "I saw a wide receiver. I saw something that could be pulled out of him. I think it was just meant to be that we would work together. He is such a personable guy, great work ethic, very humble. I told him he had unbelievable talent. And if he worked and listened and learned, he would do great things. People wouldn't be able to deal with him.''

That is exactly what has unfolded during this Cowboys season.

Each summer, Austin keeps returning to Monmouth. He works with current Hawks players and plays in charity golf tournaments. Last year, he attended a Monmouth football game and signed more than 200 autographs in a downpour, offering a kind word for every single child.

"I came to Monmouth for my visit in 2005 and Miles was my recruiting host,'' said Monmouth running back David Sinisi, who this season finished his career as the NEC's all-time leading rusher. "Miles was one of the reasons I came here. He was personable, down-to-earth, what you saw was what you got. I felt his whole persona ran from him through the team and the program. He has this vibe; always smiling. He just looked the part. He looks like he could be from USC or Penn State or Michigan, not from our small school. He is a hard-worker; he is not going to get outworked and that's one of things he thrives on. He enjoys what he does. There is no lull there.

"He really put Monmouth University on the map. Guys see him now and say, 'That's my school!'' He was a Hawk before he was a Cowboy. Guys root for him.''

Callahan said that Monmouth will have a "contingent'' on Sunday at Giants Stadium.

"I'm extremely happy for him,'' Callahan said. "We see these great things happening for Miles. He is one of the good guys in sports. He helps reinforce how important it is to have the right type of player in any program. He is committed to our program. We are committed to him. He brought a great experience here.''

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Whatever he has given Monmouth, it has returned to him in greater ways, Austin said.

"I loved Monmouth,'' Austin said. "I love Monmouth. There was no better place for me. My dad always tells me to do the job that no one else wants to do. Be that guy. I tried to do that at Monmouth and here with the Cowboys.''

Austin showed glimpses of his enormous skills in each of his three previous pro seasons, but this year, said Sherman, he learned consistency. He sharpened his route running and knowledge of reading defenses. His hands became more dependable. He gained the trust of Romo and of the offense. The light clicked, Sherman said.

Dallas has searched for a game-changing receiver in recent seasons, the most recent stabs being Terrell Owens and Roy Williams. Austin, all along, was in their midst.

"I don't blame them for not playing me before in that role,'' Austin said. "I was not giving them a consistent product to trust me with that. But I stayed hungry and healthy. I earned this opportunity now, but I didn't deserve it then. I feel like you get what you deserve in this league, one way or another. I worked hard to be consistent. I didn't accept mediocrity.''

Sherman said that Austin is a player the Cowboys must insure has the ball. He notices that teams are starting to double their coverage on this fleet receiver.

Dallas seeks balance first, said offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, and Austin, 25, helps achieve it.

"Well, its hard not to like him,'' Garrett said. "A very talented guy -- big, strong, athletic, quick, explosive, fast. The thing that has allowed him to become the type of player he is the type of person he is. The strides he has made has a lot to do with the approach he has taken. He makes something happen. He is also good in intermediate areas as well as downfield. Whatever opportunities he has, he embraces them -- clearing out, blocking. We appreciate that as coaches, and I know his teammates do as well.

"You have to credit Monmouth. It provided a great niche for a player who fell through the cracks.''

Austin said that he concentrated on basketball and track in high school and was not initially interested in football. But once he tried it, he loved it. He is an emotional player.

"I want to beat the Giants as much as any of the other three times I've played them there, not more because I'm coming back getting the chance to play more,'' he said. "I get so emotional out there because I want to do well and I want the team to do well. I get just as excited and happy when someone else does well as me.''

He made a strong impression on the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day.

His 145-yard receiving day in that Dallas victory left the Raiders awed. A Raiders executive said he was impressed with the way Austin energized his team and the crowd. He saw a player who would not run from a challenge and also one who was not a diva about it.

"You have to tip the hat to him,'' the Raiders executive said. "The opportunity came for him and he grabbed it. He was ready. I just love the energy he brings. Now, this offseason, will he believe friends who tell him how great he is? Will he buy it when they tell him the Cowboys should be giving him so much more? That's the real problem for a young player -- not to listen to that. There is always a chance of that being part of a slide.''

Austin, whose Dallas contract expires after this season, said he is miles from that. A Hawk is too crafty for that, he said.

"I run away from the media and the public that tries to change my attitude,'' Austin said. "I'm social with thousands of people, but I have a real group of friends around me and family who aren't going to approach me like that. I don't have any word yet on a new contract. I just play and that will take care of itself.

"It's nice to come home. I guess coming back this time, I can make more of a difference.''