All Lance and Lawrence Austin want is a shot to make an NFL team.
Both did their best to impress NFL scouts at Georgia Tech’s Pro Day on Friday.
After the cornerbacks finished their drills, Falcons coach Dan Quinn stepped forward.
He wanted the defensive backs to work some Falcons-specific drills and had assistant coach Charlie Jackson put Lance and Lawrence Austin and Corey Griffin through two sets of drills.
“They have been awfully good players for us for a while,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said of the Austin twins. “They are fierce competitors. They love to play football and are hard workers.”
Lawrence Austin played in 45 games for Tech, mostly at nickel back. He finished his career with 162 tackles and six interceptions.
Lance Austin played 34 games and finished with 104 tackles and three interceptions. As a sophomore in 2015, he had the epic 78-yard return of a blocked field-goal attempt for a touchdown to upset Florida State and snap the Seminoles’ 28-game ACC winning streak.
“They make plays,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, they’ll get into a camp and get a chance.”
Lance Austin is listed at 5-foot-10 and 188 pounds and Lawrence Austin at 5-9 and 187 pounds.
Both needed to run fast 40-yard dash times.
“I heard a plethora of times,” Lawrence Austin said. “I heard 4.34, 4.44 and a 4.5, anywhere between there is good.”
Lance Austin said he ran 4.4. Both lifted 225 pounds 16 times, which is plenty strong enough for the NFL.
“It felt great,” Lawrence Austin said. “I was out here competing with my teammates one last time at Georgia Tech. It felt great.”
The NFL appears a long shot. Neither is rated in NFLDraftScout.com’s top 500 players for the draft.
“I just want a foot in the door,” Lawrence Austin said. “I just want an opportunity. I’m just thankful to come out to our Pro Day here. I just want an opportunity, that’s all that I can ask for.”
The players took note of doing the drills that were added by the Falcons.
“Just some drills that they work on in Atlanta,” Lawrence Austin said. “He just wanted us to work on them and get them down because we’ll probably come in for a workout later on in April.”
Lawrence believes he can play at the next level.
“I can probably play inside at the nickel position or at safety,” Lawrence Austin said. “Probably nickel and special teams, but like I said I just want to get my foot in the door. I just want to bring a tenacious attitude to the team if I get an opportunity.”
Lawrence Austin has to put his fan-dom to the side, for now.
“I was definitely a Falcons fan,” Lawrence Austin said. “My father is a season ticket holder. I’ve always been a Falcons fan. Now, I’m just looking for a team to give me an opportunity.”
Both of the Austins look up to Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Roby-Coleman because he’s a 5-8 corner playing in the NFL. They also are fans of the 5-10 Brent Grimes.
“Any guy that is undersized and plays with a chip on his shoulder, I love to see those guys compete,” Lawrence Austin said.
Lance Austin drew some praise from the coaches after a fast 60-yard shuttle run.
“I felt like it went pretty smooth on the field,” he Austin said. “I felt like I had good showing. I was smooth out of my breaks and smooth in my drills.”
Lawrence Austin had a 33-inch vertical jump and Lance Austin jumped 32-1/2 inches.
“I felt like running well,” Austin said when asked what he had to show the scouts. “I had to show them that I could get out of my breaks and catch the ball, which I felt I did pretty well today.”
Lance Austin plans to be ready for his workout with the Falcons in April. He wasn’t sure if was a private workout or an invitation to the team’s locals day.
“If a team takes a chance on me, it would be a blessing,” Lance Austin said. “Whatever is my route, I’m not complaining. As long as I’m putting on a helmet and getting ready to compete, I’ll do whatever I need to do to make that team.”
In recent years, other Tech cornerbacks, who weren’t All-ACC picks, have found their way to the NFL.
Last season, Kansas City selected D.J. White in the sixth round. He’s currently with the Colts.
Chris Milton, who was undrafted after the 2016 season, signed with the Colts and is still on the roster.
Louis Young, who has bounced around the NFL and has been on several practice squads, signed with Arizona on Feb. 12.
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