When Jerry Jones called Miles Austin's cell phone to give him the news--that Austin had been voted into this year's Pro Bowl--the receiver was hardly waiting on pins and needles. According to reports, quite the opposite. He was sitting in a movie theater, watching Robert Downey Jr. and Guy Ritchie take on a classic, in Sherlock Holmes.
Either because the movie was really good, or because he has a sense of social tact, Austin waited through the movie to call Jones back. When he finally got the owner on the line,the news was met with excitement, wholly tempered due to the importance of next week's showdown with the Eagles in Arlington.
"I think it's cool," Austin said. "It's an accomplishment. It's definitely something I'm proud to have done, but that being said we still have to lock in. I think all the guys know that and how serious this next game is for us."
After beginning the year as the Cowboys third receiver--a fact that, in retrospect, is kind of astonishing--Austin experienced a rise in notoriety that could be accurately described as meteoric. He got his chance when D.J. Williams laid into Roy Williams' rib cage in week 4, causing the no. 1 receiver to miss the Kansas City game; Austin responded in his first career start by breaking a 43-year-old franchise record for receiving yards in a game.
Austin is now a mainstay on the NFL leader boards--Top 5 in receiving yards, yards per game and touchdowns, a fact all the more amazing considering that Austin got his first start five weeks after most of his counterparts. But what's endeared him so quickly and definitely to fans is his workman-like approach to the game, a mindset that prevailed in his reaction to the Pro Bowl.
"I never had a chip on my shoulder or anything like that," Austin said. "I'm happy to have done it, but that being said this week's game is more important. If we weren't going to the playoffs I might feel different about it because that would be something to look forward to, but we've got this game to look forward to."
