Bless Austin recovery right on track for Scarlet Knights

The number one injury that any athlete wishes will never happen to them is a torn ACL. For those that don’t know what/where that is, the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is a small piece of tissue that gives your knee the flexibility and strength to make hard stops and rotations when changing directions. For athletes, a torn ACL is a death sentence on their playing careers.

But if you go tell that to Rutgers defensive back Blessuan Austin, he will tell you just how wrong you are.

Last year, the 6’1, 195-pound junior cornerback suffered a torn ACL in a September bought against Nebraska. Only appearing in four games, Austin managed to finish the year with 12 tackles, one interception, and a pass break-up. Considered one of Rutgers most prominent defensive pieces, the defensive backs group really suffered without Austin in the lineup; both in on-field play and depth.

Watching the team from the sideline was not easy for Austin. During his rehabilitation, he did reach an occasional low point, even going as far as considering leaving the game.

“I did consider it, but when I made the decision to return, I knew it was the right one, I have no regrets about it," he said. "As long as you rehab correctly, there is still a chance I can just come back out on the field and be a better player.

“My lowest point was when I started feeling healthy, because as soon as I started feeling better, my urge to get back out onto the field got even bigger, so, when I was out there running routes (during practice), feeling good, they told me I had to take it easy, that there were still precautions I had to take.”

But “taking it easy” just does not sit well for Austin.

Austin said, “Taking it easy is not my style. I feel great, really confident in my leg, but I’m just going to keep doing what I was doing during my rehab and make sure I come out the best player I can be.”

That includes becoming a student of the game. During his rehab, Austin said that while he could not participate, he would try to learn from his coaches what they look for in a player and how he could apply that to himself.

“Since I wasn’t not playing, I became more of a critic. I tried to learn how the coaches saw things on the field so that I could use it on myself when looking at my own tape. That way, I could use what I learn to improve myself,” Austin said.

Austin has also taken it upon himself to become a better role model for the younger players in his position group, trying to make sure that the defensive backs become the backbone of the squad, whether he is on the field or not.