Faneca lured to Jets by Mangini's work ethic

[Smizzy]

Faneca lured to Jets by Mangini's work ethic

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

5:25 PM EST, March 3, 2008

Alan Faneca heard all about Eric Mangini's tough training camps and practices. The Jets' new Pro Bowl left guard is actually looking forward to experiencing them himself.

"I'm not the kind of guy that's going to make a decision to run from a difficult situation," Faneca said Monday. "If anything, it swayed me in this direction, to know that the work ethic was in place to go win games."

The Jets officially signed the 31-year-old Faneca on Monday to a five-year, $40 million contract, which includes $21 million in guarantees. The deal makes the former Pittsburgh star the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

"It was a gut decision to the overall feeling that I had, talking to Coach Mangini and getting a sense of the feeling for where the organization was going and heading," the seven-time Pro Bowler said on a conference call. "It really felt like it was the right spot for me to be in with me and my family."

Faneca, a five-time All-Pro who was Pittsburgh's first-round pick in 1998 and helped Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker rush for more than 1,000 yards in seven of his 10 seasons. He also earned a reputation for being one of the game's finest left guards.

"Alan has consistently played at a high level throughout his career," Mangini said. "He is a conscientious performer who is smart, physical and excels at playing in space. He enjoys playing the game and will be a source of leadership and toughness. I enjoyed spending time with him and am excited about the attributes that he brings to our team."

It's been a whirlwind few days for Faneca, who agreed to terms on the deal Saturday, flew to New York on Sunday afternoon and met with Mangini, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan. He took his physical Monday morning and then signed the deal.

His presence will surely improve the Jets' rushing game, which struggled despite having Thomas Jones running the ball. New York ranked 26th in the league last season in total yards and 19th in rushing yards per game.

"We made our interest in him known from the beginning of free agency," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "In addition to Alan's production on the field, we were just as impressed with the intangibles that he brings to the locker room, as well as to the community."

Faneca was unhappy before last season because he thought the Steelers misled him when he was looking for a new deal. Meanwhile, other guards without his credentials, such as Leonard Davis, Kris Dielman, Derrick Dockery and Eric Steinbach, all signed big deals last offseason that were worth at least $6 million.

"We had a disagreement last year, and that was that," Faneca said. "When it came time to play football, it was time to play football and win games. That's really where we left it."

Faneca chose New York over San Francisco and St. Louis, all teams that had losing records last season and needed help on their offensive lines.

One of the Jets' most glaring holes in the offseason was at left guard. They traded Pete Kendall to Washington following a bitter contract dispute before last season -- similar to what Faneca experienced in Pittsburgh. New York plugged in the since-released Adrien Clarke, who was ineffective while starting the first 14 games and was benched the last two weeks.

Faneca insisted on finding a new team early in the offseason and not dragging out negotiations.

"We wanted to go about this in as less a zoolike atmosphere as possible," Faneca said, "and make an informed decision and be fair to the teams that were also trying for my services and allow them an opportunity to move on and make other decisions."

With the Jets, Faneca will step in between left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold to give New York a strong left side.

"I've got 10 years of experience under my belt," he said. "I think that experience, I can bring to the table and help those guys and help the entire unit in subtle ways and be able to help put that experience to use."

Despite the huge contract, Faneca doesn't feel added pressure to live up to the hype surrounding his signing.

"I'm my own worst critic, so if I could ever please myself, I'd be good," he said. "I'm hard on myself and I'm always pushing myself to be better. I think that's all I can do, is continue to improve everyday and try to be better."

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Love the attitude. Hopefully it rubs off.

[Thai Jet]

Looking foward to Mangini's boot camp? That's gotta be a first.

[4HCrew]

Tell them what they want to hear Alan...... MONEY TALKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[glenn212]

I'll bet you Mangini told him its no walk in the park either..None of these guys can't say they didn't know how demanding Coach Mangini is going to be. I'm sure they talked to players on the Jets..so they definitely know the dealio!

[Sperm Edwards]

I'll bet you Mangini told him its no walk in the park either..None of these guys can't say they didn't know how demanding Coach Mangini is going to be. I'm sure they talked to players on the Jets..so they definitely know the dealio!

Except for Coles, who hates it & makes it known he hates it (as though he's the only one working hard under Mangini's thumb). He feels that being a high-priced player it's beneath him and that he was duped b/c he expected Club Ed for 5 years. The new players we're bringing in, like Faneca, differ in that they're aware of it going in. If Mangini has any brains he had Coles locked in a trunk in the basement with the gimp until FA is over & done & hand-picked players to help recruit (like David Harris apparently).