Career closing for Farniok

AMES - Tom Farniok wasn't feeling the greatest as he stepped through the tunnel last Saturday.

He was about to play his final game at Jack Trice Stadium. As he walked to meet Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads at the end of the tunnel - after vomiting a little in the background - Farniok said the first thing he could think of to say to his coach was 'thanks for taking a chance on me.”

'I'll remember that for the rest of my life because it makes me smile,” Rhoads said.

This Saturday against TCU, Farniok will take the field for the final time as a Cyclone, having come a long way from when he was as a recruit. As a prep in Sioux Falls, S.D., Farniok was lightly recruited with Iowa State's offer the Division I one to his name.

Although Farniok had some I-AA offers, Rhoads and his staff were convinced they saw everything they needed in the offensive lineman and didn't hesitate bringing him into the program.

'There was no question he was tough, he was going to fight, he was going to be a competitor,” Rhoads said. 'You couldn't have a full grasp on the intelligence level that he had, which went above expectations.”

Despite the confidence from his coaches, Farniok arrived at Iowa State in 2010 with a chip on his shoulder. His light recruitment and tempered early expectations with the Cyclones stuck with him his first year.

As a sophomore, he made his way to the old ISU football facility and looked up his name in the team's recruiting database. Looking back at the expectations the coaching staff had, Farniok smiles and continues to appreciate what he's been able to accomplish in five years.

'It said something like, ‘Could turn into a good reserve guy by his red-shirt junior season and could potentially play as a senior,'” Farniok said, recalling what the coaches projected for him. 'I think I overshot that by a little bit.”

With 46 starts, Farniok is looking toward his final game with Iowa State - and beyond. He was invited to play Jan. 17 in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at Carson, Calif.

After Saturday's game in Fort Worth, Farniok plans to return to South Dakota and begin meeting with agents in preparation for a run at the NFL. He has yet to determine where he will train when the season is over, but he's just looking forward to another opportunity to play on a big stage.

'There's going to be a lot of NFL guys playing in (the bowl game),” Farniok said. 'Scouts will be there from every single team, so it's another shot to really prove myself.”

l Comments: montzdylan@gmail.com