Boise State fans! Below we have our first interview with a terrific Boise State alum in Austin Pettis! It was an absolute honor to be able to communicate with my favorite Broncos player in this capacity. Austin was a tremendous player and continues to play at a high level in the NFL with the Rams.

Leave us a comment or tweet with us @theBTN and let us know what you think! We have more interviews with other great alumni that we will publish, so don’t miss those either!

BTN: Going from high school to college, and from college to the pros – what were the biggest changes you had you adapt to as a receiver moving up in each level?

AP: Biggest adjustment HS to college as a WR was knowledge of the game. I learned a lot more about the X’s and O’s of football rather than relying on athletic ability. College to the NFL is a much bigger adjustment. Every player you go against is the best of the best. Everyone is the biggest and fastest player so you have to find out what little things you can gain a advantage by.

BTN: You and Kellen had such an amazing connection and lit it up at Boise State. What were some factors that played into the great relationship you guys had on the field?

AP: I think Kellen and I had a great connection because there was a lot of trust. It seemed we were always on the same page. If I was seeing an adjustment he was seeing the same thing. We also came in the same class which gave us a lot of work together.

BTN: You made playing the position of receiver look so easy. Explain some of the things that played an important role in your success as a receiver in college that the average fan might not know.

AP: My success in college was mostly due to coaching. It was planted in my brain at a young age to be a sponge and learn from people like coaches. Another major factor has to be my baseball background. I have a baseball family and played for many years as well. My hand eye coordination was developed from a young age catching baseball and transferred over to football. The older i got the more i learned how important little things are.
BTN: Coach Petersen always seemed to get thrown around in rumors of taking a head coaching job. How did you and other players handle the rumors? Did you ever believe them? What do you have to say to fans that worry about Petersen leaving Boise State in the near future?

AP: Coach Petersen is doing a great job at what he does. There are a lot of wins every year out of Boise and now a days its hard to find coaches staying long enough to do that. I think Pete will stay in Boise for a while since he’s built a lot of the program and continues. Hopefully the next few years can be like the few passed.

BTN: What is your favorite personal moment and team moment during your football career at Boise State?

AP: Favorite moment was winning the Fiesta Bowl junior year. That was a fun experience I will not forget.

-Mike Singer / @Mike_BTN