Nick Fairley

Nicholas Lachester Fairley (born January 23, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Auburn University, where in 2010 he was recognized as an All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead Auburn to a national championship victory in which he was named the game's defensive MVP. Fairley was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams and the New Orleans Saints.

Early life Fairley was born in Mobile, Alabama. He attended Williamson High School in Mobile, where he was a two-way lineman and also lettered in basketball. Regarded as a three-star prospect, he was projected as an offensive guard. He committed to Auburn, but was not able to qualify academically.

College career Copiah-Lincoln Community College Fairley attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 2007 to 2008. After being redshirted in 2007, he played in seven games in 2008. He recorded 63 tackles and seven sacks in the 2008 season. He was initially projected to be the first pick in the draft. His measurements at the combine showed him to be 6 feet 3 7/8 inches tall and 291 pounds, somewhat less than his listing of 6–5 and 300 pounds at Auburn. After the NFL Combine, he was projected in the 8–12 range.

Detroit Lions

Fairley was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round as the 13th pick overall. He signed a 4-year contract with the Lions on July 28, 2011. The contract was for four years and worth $10 million with a $5.7 million signing bonus.

In Detroit, he joined All-Pro Ndamukong Suh on the interior of the Detroit defensive line. Though at times his play was stout, he was troubled by inconsistency.

In his second season in the NFL Fairley recorded 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 26 tackles. However, on December 12, 2012, Fairley was put on the injured reserve list, ending his season.

Fairley's fourth season had been productive for the most part. However, on October 26, 2014, Fairley sustained a medial collateral ligament sprain against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium in London.

St. Louis Rams On March 13, 2015, Fairley signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the St. Louis Rams. Fairley played in 15 games for the Rams in 2015 along their defensive line rotation and recorded 29 tackles (18 solo), a split sack, a pass defended, and one fumble recovery. On December 31, Fairley was placed on injured reserve.

New Orleans Saints On March 28, 2016, Fairley signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. After recording career-highs in tackles and sacks in 2016, Fairley signed a four-year, $30 million contract extension with the Saints during the 2017 off-season.

On June 26, 2017, the Saints placed Fairley on the reserve/non-football-illness list regarding a lingering heart condition, ending his 2017 season.

On February 5, 2018, Fairley was released by the Saints.

NFL career statistics Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions Cmb Solo Ast Sck FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD 2011 DET 10 15 9 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2012 DET 13 34 27 7 5.5 2 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2013 DET 15 35 22 13 6.0 1 2 4 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2014 DET 8 14 8 6 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2015 STL 15 29 18 11 0.5 0 1 −5 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2016 NO 16 43 29 14 6.5 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 Career 77 170 113 57 20.5 4 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3

Personal life Since entering the NFL, Fairley has had a number of run-ins with the law. On April 3, 2012, Fairley was arrested in Mobile, Alabama for marijuana possession. The charges were dismissed in December 2012.

On May 27, 2012, Fairley was arrested by Alabama State Troopers for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police. He was also ticketed for reckless driving, having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle and no proof of insurance.

On June 3, 2017, it was revealed that Fairley was diagnosed with a heart condition that could threaten his career.

On December 1, 2018, Fairley was arrested on criminal menacing charges when he allegedly threatened a person with a gun.