Stephen Austin (American football)
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Stephen Austin | |
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| Born | |
| Alma mater | University of Cincinnati |
| Occupation(s) | Executive Producer, UnDrafted Former Director, NFL Combine Properties Inc. Founder, ELITE Football Services Inc. |
Stephen Austin is a former NFL executive and founder of the NFL Regional Combines and NFL Super Regional Combine.[1]
Business career
Early career
Austin first worked as a sports agent in 1981, primarily representing players in the USFL. In 1983, at the behest of the USFL Gunslingers Head Coach, Gil Steinke, Austin conducted his first pro tryout for "street" free agents at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. After the USFL folded in 1984, Austin began representing several notable NFL players including Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowler, Wayne Haddix, and NY Jets punter Joe Prokop.[2] During this time Austin began evaluating his own clients in order to more accurately gauge their NFL potential. Other agents heard of Austin's workout sessions and began sending their clients for evaluation.
ELITE Pro Football Combines
In 1989, Austin founded the ELITE Pro Football Combines, originally called Scout Camp. Its first combine was held at Mt. San Antonio College in Pomona, CA. ELITE was officially endorsed by the Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, XFL, NFL Europe, and the American Football Coaches Association. [3] [4] ELITE was the first combine to offer players and pro teams streaming internet video in 1996, followed by a multi-criteria searchable player database.[3] ELITE discovered notable NFL players such as Wayne Chrebet and Super Bowl champions Mike Flynn, Nick Harper, and Adam Vinatieri.[5]
National Athletic Testing System
In 2000, Austin created the National Athletic Testing System (NATS). NATS was a series of football evaluation camps for high school football players hoping to play college football. NATS camps were conducted by state high school football and athletic associations. The camps also included clinics to help participating players prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test.[6] In 2005, NATS received a 1.4 million dollar grant from the National Football League Youth Football Fund and the NFL Players Association. As an additional NATS service, Austin created the Core Course Calculator (CCC) which was the first such web-based software design to help student athletes keep track of their NCAA core course requirements. Austin served as NATS President from 2000 to 2008 and, alongside former Notre Dame University head football coach Tyrone Willingham, Vice-Chairman from 2005 to 2008.
National Football League
In 2011, Austin sold ELITE Pro Football Combines to the National Football League in a multimillion-dollar deal. Elite Football remains the first and only company ever purchased by the National Football League. Austin served as Director of NFL Regional Combines and the NFL Super Regional Combine from 2010 to 2014.[1][7] Between 1989 and 2014, Austin's Scout Camp, Elite and NFL Regional Combines have conducted over 275 pro football combines - the most in pro football history. By comparison, the NFL national invitational camp (NIC) held annually in Indianapolis, has conducted 32 combines since 1982.
Entertainment career
From 2004 to 2006, Austin worked as a paid consultant to King World Productions where he assisted Vice President of Program Development, Mike Stornello, in the development of sports related broadcast content.
Currently, Austin is co-creator, producer and actor (2014 season) on the show “UnDrafted,” a television program currently on the NFL Network. UnDrafted was nominated for an Emmy in its first season (2014) and was renewed for a second season (2015) by NFL Network.
Austin is also developing the show, "American Dream", with Glen Zipper and Rich Middlemas, who produced and directed the Oscar-winning documentary, "Undefeated". "American Dream" follows the lives of five young high school football players from struggling families who have been overlooked by the big schools and have one last chance to earn an athletic scholarship and be the first in their family to attend college. [8] [9]
References
- ^ a b Regional Combines
- ^ Guest Stephen Austin NFL Director of Regional Combine
- ^ a b ELITE History
- ^ AFCA Endorsement
- ^ "NFL regional combines give fringe hopefuls last chance at pro football"
- ^ AFCA Extra Point. March 2004
- ^ "NFL buys out ELITE; will offer regional Combines"
- ^ "Regional Combine Begins"
- ^ UnDrafted (TV Series 2014– )