If Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin doesn't earn a significant role in the offense out of training camp, it won't be for a lack of trying.
Austin has been having a solid training camp this year as he looks to carve out a role for himself in Arthur Smith's offense. Recently, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni praised the work he's done on a daily basis.
But he also admitted he has to pull the third-year receiver out of practices sometimes. Why? Because Austin is going too hard.
"Calvin's looked great," Azzanni said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Did a really nice job. Being a leader, extremely coachable, tough kid. As we get into start game-planning, now you start moving guys around, see what he's got.
"But, man, just really fun to coach that kid. I've got to pull him out of practice every day because he goes so hard."
In the team's most recent practice on Wednesday, Austin was listed among the bigger standouts in what might have been one of his best practices of the summer.
"Austin made a handful of plays Wednesday," Chris Adamski of TribLive.com wrote. "During a late red-zone 7-on-7 period, he had a pair of nice 'touchdown' catches in quick succession from Wilson."
Austin is facing a crucial season in 2024. After his rookie campaign didn't get off the ground due to injury, the Memphis product posted 180 receiving yards and one score over 17 games (one start) last season and, most importantly, stayed healthy.
Entering the team's first preseason game on Friday, Austin is currently in line for a starting role, as he was listed as the starting slot receiver over rookie Roman Wilson on the team's first unofficial depth chart.
