Chris Faulkner

Christopher Alan Faulkner (born April 13, 1960) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Florida.

Chris Faulkner
No. 88, 84
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1960-04-13) April 13, 1960
Tipton, Indiana
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:Arcadia (IN) Hamilton Heights
College:Florida
NFL Draft:1983 / Round: 4 / Pick: 108
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:17
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Faulkner was born in Tipton, Indiana. He attended Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, Indiana.[1] He had never played organized football until his senior year, when he was used as a running back and punter.

College career

Faulkner enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he walked on and was redshirted, before being converted into a tight end and earning a scholarship.

As a freshman, he was the team's second leading receiver with 22 receptions for 246 yards and 4 touchdown catches (tied for the SEC lead).

In 1980, he was named SEC sophomore of the year and All-SEC, after recording 24 receptions (tied for second on the team), 259 receiving yards (third on the team) and 3 receiving touchdowns (tied for the team lead). He has 9 receptions for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns against Georgia Tech University. He also started 2 games at offensive guard.

As junior, he only played in 6 games because of injuries and finished with a disappointing 6 receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown.

As a senior, he split time with Mike Mularkey, posting 19 receptions (sixth on the team) for 186 yards (sixth on the team) and no touchdowns. In the Hula Bowl, he made 5 receptions for 64 yards. He finished his college career with 71 receptions for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Faulkner was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft. He was also selected by the Tampa Bay Bandits in the 1983 USFL Territorial Draft. Although he was expected to be a blocking option in the two tight end packages. After having problems with his assignments, the team kept undrafted free agent Cleo Simmons instead and waived Faulkner on August 22.[2]

Los Angeles Rams

On January 31, 1984, the Los Angeles Rams signed him as a free agent, with the intention of moving him to the offensive line, but after experiencing injury problems in the tight end position, the team canceled its original plan. On November 27, the team placed him on the reserve/non-football illness list.[3][4] He was cut on August 27, 1985.[5]

San Diego Chargers

On August 31, 1985, Faulkner was signed as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers to be the team's third-string tight end while Kellen Winslow recovered from his serious knee injury.[6] He remained on the roster by being able to play different positions (fullback, tight end and guard), until suffering a season ending knee injury in the ninth game against the Denver Broncos.

During the 1986 training camp he was switched to the defensive line, before being released on August 26.[7]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On October 21, 1986, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him as a free agent. He was waived two days later.[8][9]

References
  1. "Chris Faulkner". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  2. "Cowboys Cut Former Gator Chris Faulkner". Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. August 23, 1983. p. B1. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  3. "Transactions". Observer–Reporter. Washington, Pennsylvania. February 1, 1984. p. D2. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  4. "Transactions". The New York Times. November 29, 1984. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  5. "Tuesday Transactions". Lewiston Daily Sun. August 28, 1985. p. 22. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  6. Cobbs, Chris (September 1, 1985). "A Kicky Finish : Shoeless Linebacker Billy Ray Smith Pinch-Kicks Field Goal as Chargers Save Their Best for Exhibition Finale". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  7. "Transactions". The Sumter Daily Item. Associated Press. August 27, 1986. p. 2C. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  8. "Bucs sign ex-Gator". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. October 22, 1986. p. 6D. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  9. "Transactions". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. October 24, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
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