View source for Earl Faison

{{Short description|American football player (1939–2016)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox gridiron football biography
| name          = Earl Faison
| image         = Cropped_Photo_of_Earl_Faison.jpg
| number        = 86, 84
| position      = [[Defensive end]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1939|1|31}}
| birth_place   = [[Newport News, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2016|6|12|1939|1|31}}
| death_place   = [[Prescott, Arizona]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 5
| weight_lbs    = 270
| high_school   = [[Collis P. Huntington High School|Huntington]] (Newport News, Virginia)
| college       = [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]] (1957–1960)
| draftyear     = 1961
| draftround    = 5
| draftpick     = 66
| afldraftyear  = 1961
| afldraftround = 1
| afldraftpick  = 7
| pastteams     =
* [[San Diego Chargers]] ([[1961 American Football League season|1961]]–[[1966 American Football League season|1966]])
* [[Miami Dolphins]] (1966)
| highlights    =
* [[American Football League|AFL]] champion ([[1963 American Football League Championship Game|1963]])
* 4× First-team [[All-AFL]] ([[1961 All-AFL Team|1961]], [[1963 All-AFL Team|1963]]–[[1965 All-AFL Team|1965]])
* Second-team All-AFL ([[1962 All-AFL Team|1962]])
* 5× [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star]] (1961–1965)
* [[American Football League Rookies of the Year|AFL Rookie of the Year]] (1961)
* [[Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team|San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team]]
* [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1960 College Football All-America Team|1960]])
* First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1960 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1960]])
* Second-team All-Big Ten ([[1959 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1959]])
* Indiana University Hall of Fame
| statleague    = AFL
| statlabel1    = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue1    = 6
| statlabel2    = [[Touchdown]]s
| statvalue2    = 3
| statlabel3    = [[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
| statvalue3    = 31.0
| pfr           = F/FaisEa00
}}

'''Earl Faison''' (January 31, 1939 – June 12, 2016) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive end]] in the [[American Football League]] (AFL) between 1960 and 1966. He spent most of his career with the [[San Diego Chargers]].

==Career==
Drafted by both the [[Detroit Lions]] of the [[National Football League]] and the [[Los Angeles Chargers]] of the [[American Football League|AFL]], Faison signed with the Chargers as a first-round pick immediately after the conclusion of the [[East–West Shrine Bowl|East–West Shrine Game]] on December 31, 1960.

The 6-foot-5, 260 pound Faison had been an All-American at [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]], playing on both offense and defense.  After entering the pro ranks, he worked with Chargers' assistant coach [[Chuck Noll]] to continually blow past opposing offensive lineman on his way to smashing [[American Football League]] quarterbacks.

Faison was a member of the original ''[[Fearsome Foursome (American football)|"Fearsome Foursome"]]'' (the Chargers' defensive line) from 1961 to 1966. The "Foursome" was made up of Faison and Chargers Hall of Fame linemate [[Ernie Ladd]], with alternate members of the group including [[Bob Petrich]], [[Ron Nery]], [[George Gross (American football)|George Gross]], [[Bill Hudson (American football)|Bill Hudson]] and [[Henry Schmidt (American football)|Henry Schmidt]].

Despite often being double and triple-teamed, Faison was chosen as the [[American Football League Rookie of the Year]] and All-AFL in [[1961 American Football League season|1961]].  He missed the early portion of the 1962 season, after suffering a knee injury, then reported late the following year after a contract dispute.  The contract problems would resurface in 1965, but his performance remained good enough to continue a string of five consecutive All-Star seasons in the league from 1961 to 1965.

On January 15, 1966, Faison and Ladd were dealt to the [[Houston Oilers]] as part of a five-player trade, but four days later, the trade was nullified because of tampering by Oilers' owner [[Bud Adams]].  In response, Faison looked to the [[Canadian Football League]]'s [[Toronto Argonauts]], but eventually signed a three-year $90,000 contract with the Chargers on July 29.

The bitter contract problems, coupled with Faison's back problems, continued to linger until October 18 when Faison was released by the Chargers.  In announcing the dismissal, head coach [[Sid Gillman]] bitterly noted that Faison, "has a long way to go to become average."  One day later, the expansion Miami Dolphins signed Faison for the remainder of the year.

On June 27, 1967, Faison was involved in a seven-player trade which sent him to the [[Denver Broncos]], although 10 days later, the team returned him to the Dolphins, who then placed him on waivers on July 24.  Faison's release led him to file a lawsuit against Miami on October 6, citing breach of contract.  Claiming his three-year contract entitled him to the remaining $60,000 over two years, Faison was ultimately unsuccessful in his lawsuit.

A member of the [[Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame|Chargers Hall of Fame]], Faison was also inducted into the [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]] Hall of Fame in 1990.  In his post-playing career, Faison briefly dabbled in acting, including [[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]] and a pair of appearances in [[The Beverly Hillbillies]].  He then returned to [[California]] as an educator and football coach, and while at [[Lincoln High School (San Diego, California)|Lincoln High School]], he served as head coach during the era of future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]r [[Marcus Allen]] before eventually serving as the school's principal.  He later coached P.E. at Muirlands Junior High School in La Jolla.  It was there that he coined the term "grabasser" for unruly students. Faison later went on to become the Vice Principal at [[University City High School (San Diego)|University City High School]] in San Diego.

Earl Faison is a member of [[Pigskin Club of Washington|The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C.]]  National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.

In 1997, Faison was also inducted by the [[San Diego Hall of Champions]] into the {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091002220925/http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/football/earl-faison/ Breitbard Hall of Fame]}} honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/football/earl-faison/ |title=San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum » Earl Faison |access-date=June 23, 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002220925/http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/football/earl-faison/ |archive-date=October 2, 2009 }}</ref> Faison was inducted into the [[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1989.

He died on June 12, 2016, in Prescott, Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sdut-earl-faison-chargers-dean-spanos-2016jun13-story.html|title=Chargers mourn death of Earl Faison|date=June 13, 2016|website=San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of American Football League players|Other American Football League players]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.remembertheafl.com/AFLhistory1961.htm#1961FirstRounders Faison's 1962 Fleer football card]

{{Lions1961DraftPicks}}
{{San Diego Chargers 1961 draft navbox}}
{{1963 San Diego Chargers}}
{{ChargersFirstPick}}
{{American Football League Rookie of the Year}}
{{50Chargers}}
{{Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame}} 
{{1966 Miami Dolphins}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faison, Earl}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:American football defensive linemen]]
[[Category:Indiana Hoosiers football players]]
[[Category:San Diego Chargers players]]
[[Category:Miami Dolphins players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-League players]]
[[Category:American Football League Rookies of the Year]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]