Jetfan13 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 By Rich Cimini DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Saturday, March 28th 2009, 5:54 PM Pennington for News Former Jets defensive end Ron Faurot owns and manages Broncos Sports Bar and Grill in Texas. NFL Photos/Getty Faurot was a first-round pick for the Jets in 1984, but his career was cut short due to knee injuries. Related News Photo Gallery Where are they now? Ron Faurot This isn't how Ron Faurot expected his life to turn out. He's an ordinary guy, a married father of three and owner of the Broncos Sports Bar & Grill in his hometown, Hurst, Texas. He's 47 now, and he works to support his family. He counted on a long, productive NFL career and a cushy retirement, but his time in the league was shorter than a cup of coffee; it was more like a shot of espresso. It looked like he'd get the chance to live the dream when he became a first-round pick of the Jets in 1984 - 15th overall, the choice acquired from the Saints in the Richard Todd trade. But the tall defensive end lasted less than two seasons with the Jets, almost unheard of for a first-round pick, and he never played another down because of a devastating knee injury. His career: 20 games, two sacks. To older Jets fans, Faurot is synonymous with the franchise's history of failed first-round picks. To this day, he's bothered by that perception. "Somebody once showed me an article that said I'm one of the biggest draft busts," Faurot says in a phone interview. "I don't think that's real fair. I never had the chance to play the position they drafted me to play. So I'm a little bitter about that." After playing defensive end at Arkansas, Faurot was switched to outside linebacker in the Jets' 3-4 scheme and he struggled with the transition. ( sound familiar?) Five games into the '85 season, he was released by then-coach Joe Walton. Faurot said he never got an explanation behind the move. "Extremely bizarre," he says. At the time, teammates whispered that Faurot was too passive, a sentiment echoed by his former Arkansas coach Lou Holtz, who once said: "He's the only player I've ever coached who didn't have a mean streak in him." A few weeks later, Faurot signed with the Chargers, but tore a knee ligament in his first practice. "It snapped like a piece of wood," he recalls. Faurot underwent major surgery, never making it back to the NFL. He failed physicals with the Cowboys, Oilers and Colts. Life after football didn't start well, as Faurot lost about $150,000 in a bad investment. After that, he bought the sports bar, made it successful over nearly two decades, and raised his family in relative anonymity, coaching each child in various youth sports. His oldest, a daughter, graduated from Texas and teaches first grade. "I'm not financially set; I didn't play long enough for that," says Faurot. "I wish I could've played longer to prove I could play. But I have a good life and a great family. You have to move on, get on with life and pass along good values to your kids." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Tell Faurot to say hello to Mike Haight, Roger Vick and Blair Thomas for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Is that the whole article? Seems weird to bring him up from that long ago and write something that short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetfan13 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Is that the whole article? Seems weird to bring him up from that long ago and write something that short. thats the whole thing...I know most of you don't even remember him, but some of us are just a bit older Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 good for him,,he has a nice family and life,,fate is odd,,he may be happier off now then if he had played and made more money,,just never know,,he should just be thankful he and his are doing fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#90 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 The guy was as soft as a marshmellow! He really sucked! Just another great draft pick from the Jets past:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Tell Faurot to say hello to Mike Haight, Roger Vick and Blair Thomas for me.... Now that was just plain mean.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 good for him,,he has a nice family and life,,fate is odd,,he may be happier off now then if he had played and made more money,,just never know,,he should just be thankful he and his are doing fine Exactly right. Be thankful for what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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