When Jerome Bettis stood on the stage at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2015, he thanked many who meant the most to him in life and in his playing career.
While he would have loved to have thanked every teammate, he knew time was limited. So, he thanked five. Five that had an impact on him. Five that made a difference.
And the first one was his former guard, Alan Faneca. Bettis said he mentioned him because Faneca was an elite lineman, the best he played with.
Faneca was the Steelers first-round draft pick in 1998 and played 10 seasons for the black and gold, and 13 overall in the NFL. He was a member of the Super Bowl XL Championship team and was selected to nine Pro Bowls. Faneca was an impressive six-time first-team All-Pro selection, not an easy task to achieve at all, and was named to the Steelers All-Time Team in 2007 and the NFL 2000's All-Decade Team.
He also was an unselfish and versatile player, one willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. That was on display in 2003 when he played nine games at left tackle because of mounting injuries on the team's offensive line.
Faneca was a quiet leader who let his talking be done on the field, where his love of the game was ever present.
| PERSONAL INFORMATION | |
|---|---|
| Postion | Guard |
| Height | 6' 5" |
| Weight | 312 lbs. |
| College | LSU |
| Drafted | 1998 |
| 1st Round (26th Overall) | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
| CAREER HISTORY | |
|---|---|
| 1998 - 2007 | Guard, Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2008 - 2009 | Guard, New York Jets |
| 2010 | Guard, Arizona Cardinals |
| CAREER HIGHLIGHTS | |
|---|---|
| Super Bowl | XL |
| Pro Bowl | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Hall of Honor | 2018 |