High School
Sunnyvale's Strength: The Remarkable Return of Austin Helton
After a career-threatening injury, Sunnyvale Raiders linebacker Austin Helton enters the district championship as the team's leading tackler - and heartbeat.
Austin Helton could’ve come out of the womb in a neck roll – he always believed he was born to be a middle linebacker.
His father, Blake, insists that Austin’s wrists and ankles were as big as his as an elementary schooler. Austin played two age groups up in Little League football, still outweighing his teammates by 20 pounds. He started on varsity as a freshman at Sunnyvale High School, then racked up over 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons, before most kids his age had even played a varsity snap.
Checking your access
We're confirming your subscription. The full article will appear in a moment.