Faneca Retires

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Nine-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca retires from NFL

02:55 PM

By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY

1 Comments 1 Recommend

Alan Faneca didn't wait for the NFL lockout to resolve to call an end to his playing career.

The nine-time Pro Bowl guard announced on Tuesday that he would end his career after 13 seasons.

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By Rob Schumacher, Arizona Republic

"From the dog days of training camp to winning a Super Bowl the memories are endless," Faneca said in a statement, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"The greatest memory that I will leave the game with is all of the lifelong friendships I have made."

Faneca played for the Arizona Cardinals last season, and was a Pro Bowler for the New York Jets in 2008 and 2009.

But he made his mark with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in the first round in 1998.

He made the Pro Bowl every year from 2001-2007 for the Steelers, and helped the team win Super Bowl XL.

Faneca had played in every game since the start of the 2002 season, and only missed seven games in his 13-year career.

From his statement:

"I want to specifically thank the Steelers, Jets, and Cardinals. Each and every teammate, coach and front office employee has made a lasting impact on my life. It was a pleasure playing for first class organizations who surrounded me with incredibly dedicated individuals. I want to thank each of the beat writers that covered me throughout my career. These guys work hard and always treated me with respect. I want to also thank the fans. The roar of the crowd kept me going more than the fans will ever know.

"It is time to move on to the next chapter in my life. I can't wait to spend more time with my family. Playing in this league for as long as I did takes sacrifice, not only by me, but by each of them. I want to thank Julie, Annabelle and Burton for allowing me to fulfill all of my boyhood dreams. I couldn't have done it without you."

[faba]

Well that was a real nice statement for him to make- seems genuine.

[CoachTsurfing]

It's good to see some players have class. Nice job.

[war ensemble]

I always liked Faneca...good for him. Did he name his child after Tim Burton? lol

[Mattyandthejets]

At first glance i thought this thread said "Francesa retires" and i was overjoyed for 2 seconds.

[serphnx]

The Jets got it right. Let them go a year early rather than a year late. Heck, the Jets may have even been a year late with that move. I remember people arguing that it was a bad move, but I don't know where those threads are or remember who it was. That's why it's annoying when people are jerks about that type of thing, they never own up to it later. I have no problems with disagreeing with somebody but I always want to be civil about it. Hell, I even don't really want to be a jerk to Gato during his Schitty love, but it's kind of impossible not to get annoyed at him.

Some of us claimed Faneca was the weak link and missed a ton of blocks and got grilled for it. Still appreciate what he did coming here. Was great watching him on the Steelers way back too, although I didn't think he was quite as good at the end of his Steelers run as people thought he was. Still better than anything we had at the time though.

[Sperm Edwards]

The Jets got it right. Let them go a year early rather than a year late. Heck, the Jets may have even been a year late with that move. I remember people arguing that it was a bad move, but I don't know where those threads are or remember who it was. That's why it's annoying when people are jerks about that type of thing, they never own up to it later. I have no problems with disagreeing with somebody but I always want to be civil about it. Hell, I even don't really want to be a jerk to Gato during his Schitty love, but it's kind of impossible not to get annoyed at him.

Some of us claimed Faneca was the weak link and missed a ton of blocks and got grilled for it. Still appreciate what he did coming here. Was great watching him on the Steelers way back too, although I didn't think he was quite as good at the end of his Steelers run as people thought he was. Still better than anything we had at the time though.

http://www.jetnation...a-thomas-ellis/

http://www.jetnation...de-alan-faneca/

http://www.jetnation...-waived-merged/

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Alan Faneca retires from NFL

May, 10, 2011

May 10

4:45

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

One year after being booted by the New York Jets in a controversial move that stunned and angered teammates, guard Alan Faneca has decided to leave the NFL on his own terms.

Faneca, 34, announced his retirement Tuesday, ending a distinguished career that spanned 13 seasons and included nine Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl championship with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will be a strong candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Playing in the NFL has been a childhood dream come true," Faneca said in a statement. "Thirteen years later, I have decided that it is time to move on."

Faneca played last season with the Arizona Cardinals after two years with the Jets, who signed him to one of the biggest contracts in franchise history and the richest ever for a guard -- five years, $40 million.

Looking for someone to galvanize an offensive line that included young talents Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson and established veteran guard Brandon Moore, the Jets splurged at the start of the 2008 free-agent signing period, jumping on Faneca as soon as he hit the open market. The enormity of the contract stunned many league observers.

A few days later, the Jets signed right tackle Damien Woody to form what would become one of the elite lines in the league.

Faneca wasn't the dominant player he was in Pittsburgh, but he brought leadership and toughness to the Jets' line, working between Mangold and Ferguson. In critical short-yardage situations, the Jets often ran behind Faneca. He made his eighth and ninth Pro Bowls.

He was looking forward to a third season with the Jets, but he received a shocking phone call from Rex Ryan during the 2010 draft. After selecting Vladimir Ducasse in the second round, the Jets had decided to release Faneca even though they still owed him $5.25 million for 2011.

The final bill for Faneca: A staggering $21.5 million for only two seasons.

In his retirement statement, Faneca thanks the Jets, Steelers and Cardinals.

"Each and every teammate, coach and front office employee has made a lasting impact on my life," he said. "It was a pleasure playing for first class organizations who surrounded me with incredibly dedicated individuals."

Matt Slauson ended up starting every game last season at left guard, overcoming a shaky start to finish with solid grades. He often said he learned a lot by watching Faneca for a year.

Faneca, the Steelers' first-round draft pick out of LSU in 1998, played in 206 NFL games. His string of 144 consecutive starts was the longest active streak for a guard and third-longest for any offensive lineman, behind Kansas City center Casey Weigmann (158) and Detroit tackle Jeff Backus (159).

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"The final bill for Faneca: A staggering $21.5 million for only two seasons."

I'd thank the Jets to

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A perspective on Faneca, Jets '09 O-line

May, 11, 2011

May 11

11:19

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

News of Alan Faneca's retirement announcement Tuesday prompted at least three former Jets teammate to tweet testimonials. Clearly, this shows how much Faneca was respected in the Jets' locker room.

From C Nick Mangold: "Massive congrats to @afan66 for an amazing career. The #JETS oline is better because of his time with us. Enjoy the time with the family!"

From NT Sione Pouha: "@afan66 been a blessing to be around you big bro. Opportunity of 1 in a million to play with #66. God Bless."

From former RT Damien Woody: "S/O to @afan66, who retired as (one) of the best offensive linemen ever! I'll never forget that '09 OL w/ the #Jets, the best unit I've ever played with! #MuchLove."

Woody raises an interesting point: Where does the Jets' 09 line rank? As a run-blocking unit, it has to be considered one of the best over the past decade. The Jets rushed for 2,756 yards, pretty remarkable when you consider they did it with a rookie quarterback and a passing attack that scared no one.

That line consisted of, from left to right: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Faneca, Mangold, Brandon Moore and Woody. It was a terrific mix of young and old, high draft choices and one undrafted player (Moore), homegrown players and imports. They were smart, durable and, more than anything, prideful -- a special group.

Here's a top-5 ranking of the most prolific rushing offenses since 2000:

2006 Falcons .... 2,939 yards ... 9 TDs ... 5.5 avg.

2001 Steelers ... 2,774 yards ... 17 TDs .. 4.8 avg.

2009 Jets ......... 2,756 yards ... 21 TDs .. 4.5 avg.

2003 Ravens ..... 2,674 yards ... 18 TDs .. 4.8 avg.

2004 Falcons ..... 2,672 yards ... 20 TDs .. 5.1 avg.

Note: The '06 and '04 Falcons are an anomaly because they did it with Michael Vick at quarterback, with many of those yards coming on scrambles, not designed running plays. Vick rush for nearly 2,000 yards in those two seasons combined.

[BroadwayJoe12]

There's the Cimini I know. Couldn't leave out the little barbs about the Jets and just celebrate the two years he spent here.

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There's the Cimini I know. Couldn't leave out the little barbs about the Jets and just celebrate the two years he spent here.

Yeah it seems like he was on good behavior for awhile.

I wonder if he received a lot of flak from ESPN for his “druggie” comment. He apologized for it, which is very out of character for him. Then seemed to post a few non hateful articles.

Your right thought he seems to be getting back to form