D9Sports.com/EYT Media is doing a series of player profiles on returning high-school athletes this summer. The year in school listed by the athlete is the year the athlete is entering this fall.(Photo by Kyle Yates www.facebook.com/YatesPhoto)
AUSTIN NEWCOMB — SENIOR — CLARION-LIMESTONE
Son of: Todd and Melissa Smith. (Todd is the baseball coach at C-L)
Sports Played: Football and Track (Football is now at Clarion as part of a co-op that is in its first year.
Family Members Playing/Played Sports: His brothers Jordan, Taylor, and Christian Smith have played sports throughout high school and his sister Emma Smith has played sports throughout high school too.
2018-19 Highlights: Rushed for a District 9 single-season record 2,627 yards and 35 touchdowns, caught 25 passes for 572 yards and 5 touchdowns. Made 7.1 tackles per game with 3 interceptions. Scored 43 total touchdowns which were just two shy of the D9 record; Was named the Jim Kelly Award winner as the District 9 MVP by D9Sports.com; Named first-team All-State by PA FootballNews in Class 1A and All-State by PA Sports Writers in Class 1A; Finished 5th in the 200-meter dash at the District 9 championships in Class 2A
Post-High School Plans: He plans to join the military after high school.
Q&A With Austin Newcomb
D9Sports: What is your favorite sport to participate in and why?
AN: My favorite sport is football because there’s no better feeling than adrenaline pumping through your veins on a Friday night.
D9Sports: What is your favorite memory, moment, game from playing high school sports?
AN: My favorite memory is from last year breaking the D9 rushing record.
D9Sports: Why do you play high school sports?
AN: I play football for my dad because he has helped me through so much in life and I run track because I love to hurdle.
D9Sports: Who has had the most influence on your athletic career and why?
AN: My dad, Todd, has had the most influence on my athletic career in many ways. I was going through a lot of stuff and he decided to bring me into his family and help me accomplish so much not just with football but with grades and basically becoming a better person.
D9Sports: If you could change one thing about high school sports, what would it be and why?
AN: I would change the state qualifying time for the hurdles because it’s rigged honestly.
D9Sports: If you could be president for a day, what would be the one major thing you would do?
AN: If I could be president for a day, I would try and find a home for all the kids that are poor and struggling in today’s world.
D9Sports: What is your ideal place to live? County, City, Suburb? Why?
AN: I would like to live in the country because it’s quieter and peaceful and I could shoot guns and have fun without neighbors calling the cops.
D9Sports: What would someone who doesn’t know you be surprised to find out about you?
AN: They would be surprised about how fast I am.
D9Sports: What is your strongest subject in school?
AN: My strongest subject in school is probably Math.
D9Sports: If there was one period in history or one event in history you could go back to, what would it be?
AN: I have no clue what event I would go back to!
D9Sports: What question do you wish I would have asked you? And what is the answer to it?
AN: One question I wished you would’ve asked is “what professional athlete do you look up to?(dead or alive) I think I would have to say Walter Payton because the man was unstoppable and was very humble.
