At its regularly scheduled April 25, 2022, city council meeting, the City of Sparks proclaimed April 25 as “Austin Corbett Day” to celebrate NFL player Austin Corbett.
Corbett started playing football when he was seven years old in the “Mighty Mite” division of the Sparks Pop Warner league before attending Reed High School. While at Reed, he contributed to two regional championship football teams and lettered in wrestling, basketball, baseball, and track & field.
He graduated from Reed in 2013 and continued his football career at University of Nevada, Reno, while working towards a degree in pre-med. In that time, he started in 48 consecutive games. During his senior year at UNR playing the position of left tackle on the offensive line, Corbett had no sacks (allowed).
After graduating from UNR, Corbett was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 33rd draft pick in the NFL in 2018 and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. When the Rams made it to the Super Bowl, Corbett became the third local high school football player from Northern Nevada to even make it to the Super Bowl and was the first athlete from Sparks to start in one. This year, he was deemed the Super Bowl Champion Starting Right Guard for the LA Rams. At the end of March, Corbett signed a $29.25 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
The City of Sparks proclaimed April 25 as “Austin Corbett Day” to acknowledge his amazing talent originating in Sparks and taking his talents to the next level through his dedication and hard work. Growing up in the Walker River Paiute Tribe, the City also wanted to commend Corbett for being a solid role model for the tribe’s young members. The Tribe’s Chairperson Amber Torres reinstated, “On behalf of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, we congratulate you on all your amazing accomplishments in your career and personal life. You have set an outstanding example for our Native youth across Indian country to set their goals and go after them. All of Turtle Island is behind you. We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.”
Donning his Carolina Panthers tie and with a big smile on his face, Sparks City Councilman Donald Abbott read, “The City of Sparks is thankful to have Austin Corbett as a representative of the community at the highest level of professional football, we congratulate you on this amazing accomplishment, and we wish you many more successful seasons in the NFL and the best of luck this upcoming season with the Carolina Panthers”.
Corbett then shook all the city council members hands and said, “I’m extremely grateful to be from Sparks and the community that’s here, and the commitment from everyone in trying to provide your best for the city. It’s shown in everything that has occurred throughout my life and I’m just extremely honored to have a day.
“I just couldn’t be more thankful for the city; it’s really developed me as a man and a football player, husband, and father now. I will always be coming back; this is home, and thank you.”
