James Farrior facts for kids
Farrior with the Pittsburgh 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 January 6, 1975) is a former professional football player. He played as a linebacker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). James played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He was part of the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won two Super Bowl championships with the Steelers.
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Early Life and High School Football
James Farrior was born in Ettrick, Virginia. He was a top high school football player. He was named a Parade High School All-American. He also earned the title of Virginia's Group AA Co-Offensive Player of the Year in his senior year.
At Matoaca High School, James played both fullback and linebacker. He was selected first-team All-Conference in both positions. He also earned All-Metro and All-State honors. In his senior year, he made 78 tackles and 11 sacks. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. James was a three-sport athlete, playing football, track, and wrestling.
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 placed him third on the school's all-time list.
In 1996, as a senior, James was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team. He had 107 tackles and 6.5 sacks that year. He even played against his future head coach, Mike Tomlin, who was a wide receiver at William & Mary.
As a junior in 1995, he led his team with 122 tackles. In 1994, he was second on the team with 100 tackles. As a freshman in 1993, he had 52 tackles despite not starting any games. He graduated with a degree in psychology.
Professional Football Career
James Farrior was a highly-rated player coming out of college.
New York Jets
James began his NFL career in 1997. He was the eighth player chosen in the first round by the New York Jets. From 1997 to 2000, he played mostly as a backup. In 2001, he had a breakout season. He recorded 142 tackles and two interceptions. After the 2001 season, the Jets allowed him to leave. His career really took off when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
In 2002, James joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in 14 games and made 82 tackles. In 2003, he had 141 tackles. The 2004 season was a big year for him. He made 94 tackles, three sacks, and four interceptions. He finished second for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
In 2005, James helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL. He had 119 tackles that season. In a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, he made 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He continued to play well in the following years. In 2007, he had a career-high 6.5 sacks.
In August 2008, James signed a new five-year contract with the Steelers. He helped the team win another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLIII, in 2009. In 2010, he and the Steelers played in Super Bowl XLV. They lost to the Green Bay Packers. James was released by the Steelers on March 2, 2012. In 2020, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor.
NFL Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | IR YDS | AVG IR | LNG | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NYJ | 16 | 71 | 53 | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 12 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | NYJ | 16 | 51 | 42 | 9 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | NYJ | 16 | 61 | 51 | 10 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 16 | 145 | 109 | 36 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 84 | 42 | 47 | 0 | 9 |
| 2002 | PIT | 14 | 82 | 60 | 22 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | PIT | 16 | 141 | 96 | 45 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 | PIT | 16 | 95 | 67 | 28 | 3.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 113 | 28 | 41 | 1 | 12 |
| 2005 | PIT | 14 | 121 | 76 | 45 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2006 | PIT | 16 | 128 | 85 | 43 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2007 | PIT | 16 | 96 | 65 | 31 | 6.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2008 | PIT | 16 | 133 | 89 | 44 | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2009 | PIT | 16 | 102 | 68 | 34 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| 2010 | PIT | 16 | 109 | 80 | 29 | 6.0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2011 | PIT | 14 | 78 | 54 | 24 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Career | 230 | 1,440 | 1012 | 428 | 35.5 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 225 | 20 | 47 | 1 | 69 |
Awards and Recognition
In 2016, James Farrior was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. This honor took place in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was also nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. As mentioned, he is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Class of 2020 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." He is the older brother of Matt Farrior, who also played in the NFL. James married his wife, Iman, in July 2012. They live in Los Angeles, California.
James and his brother Matt are known for their charity work. They created their own organization, 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 offers support to families in need.
Besides their own foundation, James and Matt also work with the National Bone Marrow Registry. For their good deeds, the Farrior Foundation received the "Key to the City" of Richmond, VA. This was given by Richmond's Mayor Dwight C. Jones in June 2009. James Farrior also received the Bravo award. This award recognizes amazing alumni from the Chesterfield County Public Schools.
