Fauria bold as he is black and gold, talks CU

He was on the 1994 team that whipped Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, capping an 11-1 season, losing only at Nebraska.

He was a team captain, first-team All-Big 8 selection, a third-team All American and NFL second-round draft pick.

He finished his CU career with 98 catches, fourth all-time when he left school, for 1,058 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He won Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, after entering the league with Seattle.

And he's right here, at the Black and Gold Breakdown, talking CU football.

Christian Fauria, the hard-nosed, durable, head knocking, sure-handed pass-catching tight end, now of the Washington Redskins, left a winning impression during his days in Boulder, part of teams that went 34-9-3.

BGB: Christian, what do you remember about your days at CU?

Fauria: I have nothing but the best memories. I remember a lot of the older guys passed the torch to the younger guys. Coach Mac brought in a real torch, I think in Nov. of 1990. It was corny but at the time it was cool. They were passing it around and there were low ceilings in the athletic complex and I remember some ceiling tiles almost catching fire. It was a recipe for disaster, a fire marshal's nightmare (laughs).

Back then, it was the Big 8, which was a tough, physical, run-oriented league. When I first got (to Boulder), whew, I thought 'I'm in the wrong place.' They older guys weren't mean but it was physical, a competitive environment like I had never seen. It was competitive and that competition bred success.

BGB: What do you have memories of off the field?

Fauria: Hiking into the mountains, the Flatirons.

Spring would come and we'd go hang out and lay out after a long winter.

I met my wife there, and have so many good friends.

I remember Mac's Thursday-night speeches, after the last hard practice of the week. It was basically the pre-game speech. He would put an emphasis on all the things we needed to do to win the game and we were all on pins and needles. The problem was we'd be so jacked up on Thursday (laughs) but we wouldn't be playing the game until Saturday.

BGB: You're a player, how do the current Buffs feel being 0-6? How much pressure is on them?

Fauria: For the seniors, it's the worst. For the younger guys, you have to, you want to remember what this is like when you get older. You want to learn from it. You have to be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Every great program struggles. Nebraska has. Who knew, as good as they've been that they would suck. Miami has struggled in the past, USC struggled. When I was in school, USC was horrible.

You call it a bump, I guess. You stay focused. Maybe you haven't won a game but at least you're working at it.

When I was at CU, Mac would always go over the schedule, all the games and when he got to Kansas State, we'd laugh. (Mac) tried to keep a straight face for us but we couldn't help it.

So I know if K-State can do it (turn the program's fortunes around), so can the Buffs. It's all about attitude.

BGB: So how do recruit a player to CU these days, when the program is down? How do you get the better talent?

Fauria: You don't have to get the blue-chip player at every position. I wasn't that type of player. I wasn't heavily recruited. Mac took a chance on me. You stress work ethic, attitude, and the intangibles that can't be measured.

BGB: Your pro career, has pro football been what you thought it would be?

Fauria: The first part of my career (in Seattle) was injury plagued. I had four reconstructive ankle surgeries. I was always hurting. When I played in New England, it was a whole new career for me. I had the feeling I had in Colorado. It was a team run by smart guys, they played hard and it was physical. I have taken advantage of all the gifts given to me.

With the Redskins, we're still trying to find our identity.

The tough part is I know the sun has to set eventually (on a player's career).

BGB: What are your off-the-field goals, especially when your playing days are over?

Fauria: Everyone asks me that. They asked me that when I first came into the league. It's like you date and everyone asks 'when are you getting married?' They are always trying to get to the next thing.

I'm a football player so I'm going to play football. I have to give 100 percent of my time to do do something well so I'm going to do that. I'm going to enjoy myself playing football. When it's done, then I'll figure it out.

TheTruth...Fauria has 247 catches for 2,490 yards and 20 touchdowns, not all this year, as that would be a record or something, as ESPN's Kenny Mayne used to be fond of saying, but in his career that is now in it's twelfth season.

Fauria didn't last this long, at the highest level, on the best talent. Yes, he has the size and professional-quality ability necessary to compete but he's made himself successful at each level due to desire, grit, and a wilful attitude, that mentality to be part of something bigger than self and to subjugate his ego to be a winner.

Christian Fauria has always been that, a winner. His toughness and single-mindedness was a characteristic that ran through the teams he played on at CU and New England. When the Buffs reestablish that culture and find the men with capable skills and that mindset, winning time, as Magic Johnson used to call it, will return.

One last thing, the Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo, if you recall an interview done here earlier compared tight end Riar Geer's hands to that of Fauria's. CU has been strong developing that position on the team over the years and Geer might be the next outstanding player in that lineage.

Christian, thanks, I and the readers of this blog appreciate your time, class and insight.

Note....The Buffs continue to secure verbal commitments as junior college quarterback Nick Nelson and juco running back P.T. Gates join Georgia prep Conrad Obi as players this week saying they will sign with CU.

Nelson, along with Matt Ballenger give the program two additional quarterbacks to go with incumbent Bernard Jackson, senior James Cox and freshman Cody Hawkins, who is being redshirted.

Gates gives the tailback position yet more depth on top of those signed in last season's class.