# Austin Higgins

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{{Short description|American football player (1897–1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
|image=
|caption=
|image_size=
|position=[Center](/source/Center_(gridiron_football)), [End](/source/End_(gridiron_football))
|number=
|birth_date={{birth date|1897|11|29}}
|birth_place=[Louisville, Kentucky](/source/Louisville%2C_Kentucky), U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|1976|03|03|1897|11|29|mf=y}}
|death_place=Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
|height_ft=5
|height_in=9
|weight_lbs=168
|high_school=
|college=None
|teams=
* [Louisville Brecks](/source/Louisville_Brecks) (1921–1923)
| statlabel1=Games played
| statvalue1=7
| statlabel2=Games started
| statvalue2=7
| pfr = HiggAu20
| pfrcoach = HiggAu0
}}
'''Austin George Higgins''' (November 29, 1897 – March 3, 1976) was an American [football](/source/American_football) player and coach.

Higgins was born in 1897 in [Louisville, Kentucky](/source/Louisville%2C_Kentucky).<ref name=PFA>{{cite web|title=Austin Higgins|publisher=Pro Football Archives|accessdate=February 22, 2022|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerh/higg00200.html}}</ref> He served in the Army during [World War I](/source/World_War_I) from August 1917 to January 1919.<ref name=obit/><ref>Department of Veterans Affairs, BIRLS Death File for Austin G. Higgins, born 29 Nov 1897, died 3 Mar 1976.</ref>

From 1921 to 1923, he played professional football, principally at the [center](/source/Center_(gridiron_football)) position, for the [Louisville Brecks](/source/Louisville_Brecks) in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL). He appeared in at least seven NFL games, all of those as a starter.<ref name=PFA/><ref name=PFR>{{cite web|title=Austin Higgins|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=August 12, 2020|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HiggAu20.htm}}</ref> Higgins also served as the [head coach](/source/head_coach) for Louisville during the 1921 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Austin Higgins|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=July 3, 2024|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/HiggAu0.htm}}</ref> He earned a reputation as an ironman player who played entire games. ''The Courier-Journal'' later wrote that Higgins, who weighed as little as 155 pounds during his playing career, "didn't know what a substitute was and he never backed away from any of the bigger giants."<ref name=CJ>{{cite news|title=Memories of Showday Days|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|author=Earl Ruby|date=February 24, 1954|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96199589/austin-higgins/|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref> He left the sport with a blood clot that remained on his left leg for 10 years.<ref name=CJ/>

Higgins was married in 1923 to Mary Spellman.<ref>{{cite news|title=Austin Higgins, Breck Star, To Be Married|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=April 1, 1923|page=68|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96200393/austin-higgins/|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref> After his football career ended, he worked for tobacco companies, including Phillip Morris Tobacco Co., Axton-Fischer Tobacco Co., and finally the Falls City Tobacco Company.<ref name=obit/> He was also one of the top bowlers in Louisville.<ref>{{cite news|title=Higgins Rolls 709|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=November 7, 1953|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96200096/higgins-rolls-709/|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Higgins Rolls a 669|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=November 26, 1956|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96200750/higgins/|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref> He died in 1978 at age 78.<ref name=obit>{{cite news|title=Austin G. Higgins|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=March 5, 1976|page=42|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96198268/obituary-for-austin-g-higgins-aged-78/|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Louisville Brecks coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Austin}}
Category:1897 births
Category:1976 deaths
Category:Louisville Brecks players
Category:Players of American football from Louisville, Kentucky
Category:American football centers
Category:United States Army personnel of World War I

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Austin Higgins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Higgins) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Higgins?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.