Derrick Faison Explained

Derrick Faison
Number:89
Position:Wide receiver
Birth Date:24 August 1967
Birth Place:Lake City, South Carolina, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Weight Lbs:200
High School:Lake City (SC)
College:Howard
Undraftedyear:1990
Teams:
Statlabel1:Receptions
Statvalue1:3
Statlabel2:Receiving yards
Statvalue2:27
Statlabel3:Touchdowns
Statvalue3:1
Pfr:FaisDe00

Derrick L. Faison (August 24, 1967 June 27, 2004) was a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for one season for the Los Angeles Rams. He played both football and basketball at Howard University.

High school career

Faison attended Lake City High School in Lake City, South Carolina, where he was a standout on the football team at the tight end position.[1] As a junior, he made 24 receptions for 847 yards and seven touchdowns.[1] As a senior, Faison made 30 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns.[2] He was selected to play in the South Carolina North-South All-Star Game.[3] Faison also played basketball at Lake City, earning honorable mention all-state honors as a senior after averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.[4]

College career

Faison played four years of college football for the Howard Bison football team, scoring 21 touchdowns on 47 career receptions as a wide receiver in a run-heavy offense.[5] [6] However, after playing sparingly as a freshman, Faison falsely believed that he had been redshirted.[5] [6] Ahead of his fifth season in 1989, he was one of nine Bison football players who were ruled ineligible.[5]

Per NCAA eligibility rules, Faison was allowed to play a different sport for his fifth year, so he joined the Howard Bison men's basketball team as a forward for the 1989–90 season.[5] He had spent the previous three years as an "individual standout" in the Howard intramural basketball league.[5] Faison also joined the Bison track team.[6]

Professional career

After going unselected in the 1990 NFL draft, Faison signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Hartsville is state's unheralded dynasty. Tom. Layton. The Greenville News. August 26, 1984. December 2, 2023. 168. Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Final high school football statistics. The Greenville News. December 16, 1984. December 2, 2023. 52. Newspapers.com.
  3. News: State's abundance of talent makes North-South game a quality product. Willie. Smith. The Greenville News. December 7, 1984. December 2, 2023. 7. Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Presenting our boys' all-state basketball team. The Greenville News. March 29, 1984. December 2, 2023. 7. Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Howard's Faison shifts sports, not aspirations. Neil H.. Greenberger. Washington Post. October 21, 1989. December 2, 2023.
  6. News: Free Agent Faison Unlikely--and Unfazed. Chris. Dufresne. Chris Dufresne. Los Angeles Times. August 16, 1990. December 3, 2023.