2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

80 - JOSEPH FAURIA
Tight End UCLA Encino, Calif.
Year: 3 Ht: 6-7 Wt: 262 Born: 1/16/90
Draft: FA-Det ‘13
Complete biographical information available on Detroitlions.com.
MANE FACTS
‣ ¾ Pronunciation: FOR-ee-ay
TRANSACTIONS
‣ ¾ Placed on Reserve/Injured on December 10, 2014.
‣ ¾ Signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 2, 2013.
PRO
Third-year tight end who earned a roster spot in 2013 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA. Brings
tremendous size and height to the Lions tight end corps.
‣ ¾ With one touchdown catch vs. Baltimore (12/16/13), Fauria became the fourth tight end in team history to record seven
touchdown receptions in a season.
• He joined TE Jim Gibbons (8, 1964), TE Ulysses Norris (7, 1983) and TE David Sloan (7, 2001) as the only Lions tight
ends with seven touchdown receptions in a season.
• Fauria also joined WR Roy Williams (8 in 2004) as the only rookies to catch seven touchdown passes in a season.
‣ ¾ Fauria’s 10-yard touchdown catch against Tampa Bay (11/24/13) set a franchise record for touchdown receptions by
a rookie tight end (6).
‣ ¾ Fauria’s three touchdowns at Cleveland (10/13) set a franchise single-game record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.
• His three touchdown grabs marked the first time a Lions tight end registered two-plus in a game since TE David
Sloan recorded two vs. Cincinnati October 28, 2001.
• Fauria set the team record for touchdown receptions in a game for a Lions rookie tight end (3).
• Fauria’s three touchdown receptions set a Lions rookie single-game rookie record for a road game.
• He is only the third rookie in team history with two-plus touchdown receptions on the road (Dorn Dibble: 2 at Philadelphia
11/18/51; WR Titus Young: 2 at Green Bay 1/1/12).
2014: Hampered by a foot injury midway through the season, followed up on his stellar 2013 rookie season with six catches
for 74 yards and one touchdown before being placed on Reserve/Injured on December 10.
‣ ¾ Hauled in one reception for 26 yards and a two-point conversion in Week 1 vs. New York Giants (9/8). His 26-yard catch
was a career-long.
‣ ¾ Collected one reception for 20 yards in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14).
‣ ¾ Caught one pass for two yards in Week 3 vs. Green Bay (9/21).
‣ ¾ Inactive in Week 4 at New York Jets (9/28) through Week 10 vs. Miami (11/9) with a foot injury.
‣ ¾ Returned to the field and helped block for the Lions’ rushing attack, which collected 98 yards on 19 carries in Week
11 at Arizona (11/16).
‣ ¾ Participated in a backup tight end role and was targeted twice in Week 12 at New England (11/23).
‣ ¾ Caught one pass for 8 yards in Week 13 vs. Chicago (11/27).
‣ ¾ Hauled in a pair of passes for 17 yards and a touchdown in Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay (12/7).
‣ ¾ Placed on Reserve/Injured with a foot injury on December 10.
2013: Fauria, an undrafted rookie, caught seven touchdown passes in his debut season, including three at Cleveland (10/13).
His seven receiving touchdowns were the most among rookie tight ends and tied for second among all NFL rookies. He
finished his rookie season with 18 receptions for 207 yards and seven touchdowns.
‣ ¾ In his NFL debut, recorded three receptions for 27 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 vs. Minnesota (9/8).
‣ ¾ Registered one pass for five yards and one touchdown in Week 3 at Washington (9/22).
‣ ¾ Scored on three touchdown receptions (1, 23 and 10 yards) in Week 6 at Cleveland (10/13). He caught three passes (all
touchdowns) for 34 yards.
‣ ¾ Had one catch for 15 yards in Week 7 vs. Cincinnati (10/20).
‣ ¾ Earned the Lions a first down by recording a career-long 25-yard reception in Week 10 at Chicago (11/10).
‣ ¾ In Week 11 at Pittsburgh (11/17), caught one pass for 14 yards.
‣ ¾ Caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay (11/24).
‣ ¾ Started for the second time this season at tight end in Week 14 at Philadelphia (12/8).
‣ ¾ Caught a 14-yard touchdown pass in Week 15 vs. Baltimore (12/16).
‣ ¾ In Week 16 vs. New York Giants (12/22), totaled 43 yards on three receptions.
‣ ¾ Caught three passes for 20 yards in Week 17 at Minnesota (12/29).
COLLEGE
Established himself as a consistent part of the Bruins offense, ranking tied for third in UCLA history with 20 career
touchdown receptions.
‣ ¾ Finished his UCLA career with at least one catch in his last 22 games.
‣ ¾ An honorable mention all-conference selection in 2012, started nine of the 14 games played in and led the team with
12 touchdowns receptions, the most since J.J. Stokes had a school-record 17 in 1993. His 46 catches on the season
also rank tied for the 18th-best mark in school single-season history.
DETROIT LIONS
PLAYER PROFILES