Feature story on Shane Austin

About how redshirts and developing players like Shane Austin (scout team player of the year for UH) got extra practice reps with the first units in practice the past two days, Rolo said:
"We wanted to give everyone reps, and see how far they've come. Shane is doing a nice job with our offense. He gets it. He makes good decisions, and he throws a great ball. He's got a chance to play." (HA)

About being able to run UH's offense instead of portraying their opponent, Austin said:
"Coach (Greg McMackin) is giving some of us an opportunity with reps, and I'm using it as a chance to get better. It's fun to be able to run our offense. I remember all of the reads." (HA)

HA Note: "With Inoke Funaki expected to move to running back or slotback, Austin is projected to be the No. 3 quarterback entering spring practice."

About how Austin has worked hard to improve and boosted their scout team, Rolo said:
"As a walk-on, he's really worked hard and paid his dues. He pays attention even when he's not getting reps. That's why he's so good on the scout team." (HA)

About how the coaches hold up a diagram of a play and the scout team runs it, Austin said:
"All you have to do is look at the cards. It's like playing Madden, really. You look at the plays, and you go off what the cards say." (HA)

About how he studies videotapes of the QBs he will represent, Austin said:
"I try to imitate all of the little things. If a quarterback claps his hands before the snap, I try to imitate that. Even if it comes down to a dropback, I try to make it as realistic as possible for the defense." (HA)

About how Austin learns from facing their first-team D, Rolo said:
"That's a quarter of a game every time you go down there and play against those guys. You start to get the pocket feel. You start to learn how to play against really good defensive players." (HA)

About how he benefited from training in Hawaii this past summer, participating in their conditioning program and unsupervised passing drills, Austin said:
"You get a lot of 7-on-7 work. You get to see what different guys can do. You get the timing down with the receivers. You know which guys break where, and where to throw. I look forward to doing that this offseason, too." (HA)

About how he'll focus on leg-strengthening workouts before spring practice in April, Austin said:
"I'm trying to get faster. Inoke kind of inspired me to work on my speed. I'm working on my footwork so I can have better scrambling ability." (HA)

Shane Austin said that his father (Dave Austin, a sports psychologist for several MLB pitchers) taughthim techniques involving:
"goal-setting and visualization. Those are the keys. If you see it in your head what you're trying to do, and you see it over and over, then you can do it. It becomes second nature. It definitely helped me." (HA)