Jeff Faine
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Career Summary
Jeff Faine was an NFL center who played 125 games and started 124 across ten seasons.
He played for Cleveland, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati after an All-America career at Notre Dame.
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Early Life
Faine was born in Milwaukie, Oregon, and grew up in Sanford, Florida.
He later attended Seminole High School in Sanford.
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High School
Faine played high-school football at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida.
His college and NFL path led from Seminole to Notre Dame and then the NFL.
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College Career
Faine started all 35 games he played at Notre Dame and earned first-team All-America honors as a senior in 2002.
He won the Nick Pietrosante Award and graduated in 2003 with a degree in film, television, and theatre.
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Path to the NFL
Cleveland selected Faine in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, 21st overall.
He began his NFL career with nine starts as a rookie.
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NFL Career
Faine appeared in 125 NFL games and started 124 of them from 2003 through 2012.
He spent three seasons with Cleveland, two with New Orleans, four with Tampa Bay, and his final season with Cincinnati.
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Career Accomplishments
Faine was a Pro Bowl alternate with New Orleans in 2007 after helping anchor the NFL's best pass-protection unit.
He then started all 16 games for Tampa Bay in 2008 and assumed a leadership role on the offensive line.
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Playing Style
Faine was a physical center and offensive-line leader.
Tampa Bay described his intensely physical style as setting the tone for the offensive front, while Notre Dame described him as a reliable leader in the middle.
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Legacy
Faine returned to Notre Dame's Monogram Club as a board director, vice president, and then president beginning in 2024.
His Notre Dame career included three Monogram awards and All-America recognition.
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Post-Career
In 2009, Faine founded The Faine House with the Children's Home Society of Florida to support young adults aging out of foster care.
He has also served in Notre Dame's Monogram Club leadership.
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Sources for this section
20221, 00-0022157, 1981-04-06, Jeff Faine, Jeff, Faine
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