James Farrior facts for kids
Farrior with the Steelers in 2006
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| No. 58, 51 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 6, 1975 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Matoaca (Matoaca, Virginia) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Virginia | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
James Alfred Farrior, born on January 6, 1975, is a former American football star. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. James played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He was a key player for the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Steelers, he won two Super Bowl championships!
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Growing Up and High School Football
James Farrior was born in Ettrick, Virginia. He was an amazing athlete in high school. At Matoaca High School, he was named a Parade High School All-American. He was also chosen as Virginia's top co-offensive player in his senior year.
James played both offense and defense. He was a first-team All-Conference player as a fullback and a linebacker. He made 78 tackles and 11 sacks on defense. On offense, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 22 touchdowns! He also caught 19 passes for 340 yards and 4 touchdowns. James played football, track, and wrestling in high school.
College Football Career
James Farrior played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers football team. He attended the University of Virginia. During his time there, he made 381 tackles. This put him third on the school's all-time list!
In 1996, his senior year, James was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference player. He had 107 tackles and 6.5 sacks that season. He even played against his future coach, Mike Tomlin, who was a wide receiver for another team.
As a junior in 1995, James led his team with 122 tackles. He was named second-team All-ACC. In 1994, he was second on the team with 100 tackles. He also had 4 interceptions. Even as a freshman in 1993, he had 52 tackles, even though he didn't start any games. James graduated with a degree in psychology.
Playing in the NFL
James Farrior had a long and successful career in the National Football League. He played for two teams: the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
New York Jets Years
The New York Jets drafted James in 1997. He was the eighth player chosen in the first round. For his first few years, he played as a backup linebacker. In 2001, he had a breakout season. He made 142 tackles and had two interceptions. After this season, the Jets let him become a free agent. This allowed him to join the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers Years
Joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002 changed James Farrior's career. He moved back to his college position as an inside linebacker. In his first year with the Steelers, he had 82 tackles. In 2003, he made 141 tackles.
The 2004 season was a huge year for James. He had 94 tackles, three sacks, and a career-high four interceptions. He was even considered for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award! In 2005, he helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL. He had 119 tackles that season.
James continued to play great football. In 2007, he had a career-high 6.5 sacks. In 2008, he signed a new contract to stay with the Steelers. He helped them win another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLIII, that year! In 2010, he played in Super Bowl XLV, but the Steelers lost that game. James was released by the Steelers in 2012.
In 2020, James Farrior was honored by the Steelers. He was named a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor.
NFL Career Stats
Here are some of James Farrior's career statistics from his time in the NFL:
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | INT | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NYJ | 16 | 71 | 53 | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 12 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | NYJ | 16 | 51 | 42 | 9 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | NYJ | 16 | 61 | 51 | 10 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 16 | 145 | 109 | 36 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2002 | PIT | 14 | 82 | 60 | 22 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | PIT | 16 | 141 | 96 | 45 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 | PIT | 16 | 95 | 67 | 28 | 3.0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| 2005 | PIT | 14 | 121 | 76 | 45 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2006 | PIT | 16 | 128 | 85 | 43 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2007 | PIT | 16 | 96 | 65 | 31 | 6.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 2008 | PIT | 16 | 133 | 89 | 44 | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2009 | PIT | 16 | 102 | 68 | 34 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2010 | PIT | 16 | 109 | 80 | 29 | 6.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2011 | PIT | 14 | 78 | 54 | 24 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Career | 230 | 1,440 | 1012 | 428 | 35.5 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 69 |
Awards and Recognition
In 2016, James Farrior was added to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He was also nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. As mentioned, he is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor.
Personal Life and Charity Work
James Farrior has a nickname, "Potsie," given to him by his parents. This was because he had a pot-belly as a child! Fans also gave him nicknames like "The Ultimate Farrior." James is the older brother of another NFL linebacker, Matt Farrior. James married his wife, Iman, in 2012. They live in Los Angeles, California.
James and his brother Matt are known for their charity work. They started their own organization called The James Farrior Foundation. This foundation helps people in many ways.
- The Impact 51 program guides and mentors students.
- The Farrior Scholarship Fund helps students pay for college.
- The Families in Crisis program helps families who are struggling.
The brothers also work with the National Bone Marrow Registry. Because of their good deeds, the city of Richmond, VA gave the Farrior Foundation the Key to the City in 2009. James also received the Bravo award from the Chesterfield Public Education Foundation. This award recognizes amazing former students from the Chesterfield County Public Schools.
