James Farrior, who played his college ball at the University of Virginia, is an inside linebacker for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. The New York Jets drafted Farrior, who is 6-2 and 243 pounds, in 1997 during the first round. He was the 8th pick overall in the 1997 NFL draft.

He played from 1997 to 2002 for the Jets and has been with the Steelers since 2002. In 2004, he was a Pro Bowl selection and he played on Pittsburgh's Super Bowl XL championship team.

The veteran is a fine fit athlete with Pittsburgh's 3-4 scheme. Farrior is a total professional with a great work ethic and refined leadership skills. Always in the game, he can take on lead blockers, go for the open hole and bring down the runner. He possesses fine hands and rarely misses a tackle. Over the years, he’s slowed down a bit and can no longer go sideline to sideline nor can he keep pace with tight ends or running backs. But he knows the zone and has the smarts to constantly contribute.

In 11 seasons in his career, he has played in 168 games, missing just eight. He's made 1,017 tackles (736 solo tackles), had 21 sacks and grabbed 10 interceptions.

He is a Super Bowl Champion (XL,XLIII), twice Pro Bowl selected player in 2004 and in 2008, winner of the First Team All-Pro selection in 2004 and also the winner of the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team.

Football, NFL, Athlete, Sports