The newest ISU prospect stands just 46 inches tall, but Djoni Austin already has the jersey. It’s exactly like the one his dad, Atif Austin, wears for the nationally-ranked Cyclones – just a little smaller.

Tori Austin, Atif’s wife, said the energetic 5-year old is already getting his moves down.

“He’s been carrying the football around lately,” Tori said. “And I have to tell him, `put that ball down.’ “

The Roosevelt Elementary kindergartner will have to wait until 2015.

“Right now he’s kind of young, and I keep telling him `hold off because it’s going to be a while before you can play,'” Atif said. “But he wants to get out there right now with the little kids and play football. They don’t have anything at his age yet, so he’s going to have to wait.”

In the beginning

Atif and Tori were high-school sweethearts at Tarpon Springs High in Florida. They were married Dec. 19, 2001, just before the Cyclones’ victory over Pittsburgh in the Insight.com Bowl.

At that time, Tori was in the Air Force and stationed in Minot, N.D.

She served as a supplier for men and women going off to war, while working on an associate degree at Minot State University.

Meanwhile, Djoni was attending military preschool.

“We kept in contact with phone calls,” Atif said. “I talked to Djoni almost every day. Whenever we had a Thanksgiving break or Christmas break or any kind of break, I would drive up there.”

Phone bills were skyrocketing and the 12-hour drive was just too long. Tori and Djoni moved back to Ames in August of 2001, and she was officially released from the Air Force on Sept. 16, 2001.

Six months and five days later, Amni Austin was welcomed into the family.

Father figure

A grin comes to Atif’s face when he talks about the best part of being a father. He said there are so many things.

“Watching them grow, teaching them things,” Atif said. “The best part about being a dad to a son is that he wants to be like me, and he’s growing up in my image.”

Atif said he’s pushing himself so that his son does the same.

“I guess I’m trying to make myself the best I can be, so I can make it harder for him to beat me. He’s a competitive person too, so everything that we do, he’s trying to out-do me, like `Dad, I’m going to do it better than you.’ “

Atif, who was hoping for a girl when Amni came along, said his daughter is just as precious to him.

“The great thing about daughters is that she’s the image of her mother,” Atif said. “She’s my little cutie. I call her my little momma.”

Atif said that his mother is big momma, Tori is momma and Amni is little momma.

Amni, which means giving your all, will be 6 months old Saturday. Atif said she’s learning to adapt to the world.

“She just started sitting up, and [she’s always] looking around,” Atif said. “She’s very active and she wants to grab everything.”

Atif said when they go to church, Amni tries to participate as much as she can.

“When they’re singing, she’s trying to sing,” he said. “I think she’s going to be a singer, I’m betting on that.”

Tori said the little girl has no problem getting along with her brother. Djoni’s even helped with Amni’s diapers a time or two.

“She loves her brother,” Tori said. “If she hears his voice she’s gonna turn all the way around to see what he’s doing.”

Busy as a bee

With all the joys of fatherhood and motherhood comes the necessary time and effort.

Atif said it was difficult to adjust to at first, but now he and Tori have a routine down.

“I wake up, go to class, go to football practice, I come home to spend time with the family and study,” Atif said. “When [Tori] was going to school it was more difficult, but now she’s taking a semester off. Before, it was a lot of running around.”

While Atif is getting prepared for the next opponent on Iowa State’s schedule and working on his exercise and sports science degree, Tori is busy caring for Djoni and Amni.

Atif and Matt Word, a linebacker for the Cyclones, are the only married players on the team. Atif said that he and Word consider themselves role models to the other players on the team.

“I think they respect us because they’re like `man, you made that commitment,’ ” Atif said. “Some of them know they’re not ready for it, but they all want to be at that point. I think they look at me and Matt Word and say `we hold a lot of respect for what you’re all doing here in college, being married so early.’ “

On my mind

Atif, a defensive back for the Cyclones, said he thinks about his family all the time, especially on game day.

Before every game he writes `The Austin Family’ on the tape that goes around his wrist. It’s a constant reminder that his wife and kids are with him while he’s playing, he said.

Tori and the kids have made it to every game this season, and will travel to the closer away games. She said she worries about her husband when he’s on the field.

“All the time,” Tori said. “Every hit he takes, I feel it. Every tackle he makes it’s like I was out there on the field. Interceptions, you’d think I made it because I’m in the stands like `yeah!’ Everybody looks at me like I’m crazy.”

The word is out Djoni hasn’t gotten any questions from his classmates about his dad – as far as his parents know – but Djoni’s teachers and the secretary have put it together.

“The teachers and the secretary of the school, they just found out,” Tori said.

“They knew, but they weren’t sure who Dad was.”

She said after the Florida State game, in which Atif had an interception, the word was out at Roosevelt Elementary.

Atif said all the doctors and nurses know exactly who he is.

“We’re taking Amni for a check-up, and we’ll talk about football the whole time,” Atif said.

“It’s like `the kids are fine, but uh, so how was that game?'” Tori said.

All the fanfare

With all the joy in the Austin household, there is some discrepancy about who Atif’s biggest fan is.

“I’m number one,” Tori said. “Then we have Amni and Djoni.”

“My mom is my biggest fan,” Atif said. “[Tori’s] third because her mom is a bigger fan than her, because her mom knows more about football. Both grandmas are the biggest fans. [Tori] is third on the list. Might be fourth because Djoni is bigger fan than she is.”

“I wear the jersey, I have the tattoos on,” Tori said. “I made a banner. I think I’m the biggest fan. Djoni says I’m the biggest fan.”

“It goes my mom, her mom, and then [Tori] and Djoni are on the same level . and Amni,” Atif said.

“Ha,” Tori said.

Who can call Djoni their fan?

“My dad and Tony [Yelk],” Djoni said.

A man of his word

When Djoni was born, Atif was a senior in high school and Tori had already graduated. Atif asked Tori to marry him, but she said no.

“When she said no, I told her that I’d never ask her again,” Atif said. “I said that’s the last time I ever ask you to marry me, that is it.”

Tori decided to go against the norm and pop the question herself.

“I believe she knew I wasn’t ever going to ask her to marry me, even though I loved her and she was my baby and everything,” Atif said. “I always wanted to do it, but I just said I’d never ask again because I got rejected.”