Danbury High Football Star Makes It to the Super Bowl

Some people would give anything just to be in the stands for the Super Bowl, but one Danbury High graduate was actually on the Cincinnati Bengals bench.

His name is Austin Calitro, and he was a standout football player at Danbury High School, and for Villanova University.

Get our free mobile app

After his collegiate career he was drafted by the New York Jets and has become sort of a journeyman since, spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Denver Broncos, and now this season the Cincinnati Bengals.

His stint in Cincinnati has led the former Danbury High graduate to a spot on the bench with the Bengals and a trip to Super Bowl 56.

The Bengals signed LB Austin Calitro off the practice squad to the active roster.

Calitro who stands at 6 foot and weights in at around 240 pounds has played in three games for the Bengals this season as a practice squad elevation. He has one tackle on special teams.

Football has always been Austin's dream, and during his 4 year career in the NFL he has had quite an experience. Imagine sacking Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rogers, or putting the hit on one of the NFL's best running backs.

Undoubtedly his best year so far in the NFL was in 2018. According to nfl.com, in 16 games, which included five starts for the Seahawks, Calitro tallied 45 tackles and half a sack. An injury to Seattle's All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner opened up the door for Colitro, who even led the team with 25 tackles during the preseason.

However life in the NFL can be very unpredictable, and in order to trim the team roster down, Austin was released from the Seahawks and was claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So what happened in Seattle? According to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll it had nothing to do with Calitro. Carroll told reporters that "It’s just numbers and we just couldn’t hold onto him. We wanted to, we love him, we love the way he played, he had a fantastic preseason for us. That was a real hard one.”

So after a stint with Jacksonville, in 2020 Calitro joined the Denver Broncos and played there until midway through the 2020 season when he joined the Bengals on waivers as a practice squad player. Towards the end of the season he was elevated to the main roster and played in 5 games for Cincinnati where he had 4 tackles and 2 assists.

This led him to a roster spot on the team for their trip to Super Bowl 56. The Bengals lost to the Rams, but I'm sure it was one hell of an experience for this former Danbury High All State football standout.

TACKLE THESE: Check Out the Best Uniforms In Each NFL Team's History

LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

Categories: Articles, Local News, Sports