No, this isn’t the plot of the Mark Wahlberg starring vehicle Invincible. Although, the uniforms are very similar.
University of North Texas’ Austin Aune continues to make the Mean Green a contender in C-USA.
Here’s the twist: he’s also almost 30 years old.
Eleven years ago, Aune dazzled as the quarterback of Argyle High School, where he threw for 3,411 yards, rushed for 538 yards, and accounted for 42 touchdowns as a senior. He led the Eagles to the 2011 Class 3A Division II state championship game at AT&T Stadium, where they eventually lost to Wimberley.
Instead of following the typical route to continue his pigskin success at the DI level, Aune was drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round as the 89th pick. The Argyle native was offered a reported seven-figure signing bonus, effectively killing his gridiron dreams… at least, for a time.
Aune spent six years on the diamond, moving through the Yankees minor league system, even sharing a locker room with several time All Star Aaron Judge. Eventually, he was released by the Yankees in 2017.
After a brief stint at Arkansas, Aune transferred to UNT in 2018. Putting his helmeted head down, he put in the work, ascending to a starting role. Once given the first string shot-calling, he broke the record as the oldest quarterback to play DI college football in the modern era.
Because Aune is a junior, he still has another year of eligibility. If he opts in, he will graduate from the program at 31.
“I want to try to get to the NFL,” Aune told WFAA.
Speaking of the NFL, Aune would be the oldest quarterback on both the Dallas Cowboys’ and Houston Texans’ current roster.
So far, those professional dreams aren’t farfetched. Aune is first in most passing yards per completion in the FBS (16.13) and is leading the Mean Green to their best record since 2018.
Currently, UNT is second in conference standings, and has only lost one game in C-USA play. The team has a chance to play in the championship game for the first time since 2017 — their only title appearance.
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