He was also selected first-team All-Conference at both FB and LB, also earned All-Metro and All-State honors, he was The Richmond Times-Dispatch co-Player of the Year after posting 78 tackles, 11 sacks, five blocked kicks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions, he rushed the ball 105 times for 1,006 (9.6 avg.)

He earned All-Metro, district and region honors as a junior, lettered three times in football, track and wrestling.

[2] In 1995 season as a junior he earned All-ACC second-team honors after he started every game at LOLB and led the team in tackles (122 stops) and also had half sack, nine passes defensed and an interception.

In 1994, he earned all-ACC honorable mention as a sophomore when he started every game at LOLB and finished second on the team in tackles with 100, 1 sack, a blocked punt, 4 interceptions and 6 passes defensed.

Farrior began his professional career in 1997 as the eighth overall pick in the first round for the New York Jets.

After the 2001 season, the Jets allowed Farrior to leave via free agency, but his career exploded once he got to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was put back in his college position, ILB.

His best regular season performance came in a week 3 loss to the New England Patriots, in which he recorded 9 tackles and 1 sack.

[6] Entering the 2008 season, Farrior stated that he wished to remain a Steeler for the remainder of his career.

[9][10] At the end of the 2010 season, Farrior and the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers.

He is nicknamed "Potsie" by his parents, Rebecca and James Farrior, because he had a pot-belly as a child and because of the popularity of the sit-com Happy Days.