Life After UNI: 21 Questions with Jared Farley

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Known as being a tackling machine and the heart of the Panther football team, Jared Farley made a name for himself and produced one of the greatest defensive careers in the history of Northern Iowa football.

Farley ranks eighth all-time at UNI for total tackles, after racking up 313 over his four-year career at UNI. The linebacker earned five All-American selections this past season, while also making ESPN's Top-10 plays after his sensational, one-handed touchdown catch against Monmouth in the FCS Playoffs.

Now that his UNI career has concluded, Farley reflects on his time with the Panthers and sets his sights on achieving his next dream of making it to the NFL. Farley took time out of his busy schedule to talk about his experience at UNI, his upcoming plans and the father-coach relationship with his dad, Mark Farley.

Q: How have you been filling your time after graduation?
A: I've been training for our Pro Day and just trying to improve every day.

Q: Getting ready for Pro Day, what are some of your goals?
A: My goals are to test as best as possible in front of the scouts. My goals are to run a 4.6 40 and to just show my abilities and versatility in the position drills.

Q: How do you think you represented the number 46?
A: It was a great experience wearing a Panther uniform in itself but wearing number 46 meant a lot because I was carrying on a tradition of great players to wear the number. I also wanted to carry on the tradition of great linebacker play that Coach Farley and my brother Jake carried with the number 46. I think I represented the number 46 very well on and off the field. I know I gave my all for my four years for this program and representing the number 46 for my Dad, brother, and all other former players to wear the number was an experience I will never forget.

Q: How does it feel to go down as 8th all-time for career tackles at UNI?
A: It feels great, obviously I wish I could have had even more tackles, but to be 8th all-time and have my name among some of the best to ever do it at UNI is a great honor and accomplishment.

Q: If football doesn't pan out, what other future plans or passions do you have?
A: My future plans after football are to find a job that I can be great at and have a passion for.

Q: How does it feel to have a SportsCenter Top-10 play under your belt?
A: Being on SportsCenter Top-10 plays is every kid's dream. I grew up watching the Top-10 every day and to actually have that dream come true with my touchdown catch being on there was something I'll always remember.

Q: How did you overcome the pressure of living up to your father's legacy and make a name for yourself?
A: I really never felt the pressure of living up to expectations. He had a great career as a player and coach here at UNI and I wanted to carry that on in my career as well. I just wanted to be the best player I could be regardless of what the expectations were. After looking back on the past four years, all the hard work to be great made me the player I became, and I think I did well at making a name for myself.

Q: What things did the team do/say to go on that win streak down the stretch?
A: There really wasn't a whole lot said. It really came down to the whole team just doing the little things right and just having that fight to win in the fourth quarter. I thought our senior class and captains did a great job of leading by example and showing the younger guys how to work, prepare and really lead the charge. I also have to give the coaching staff a lot of credit, because they didn't give up on us either and they just kept pushing us to be better every day. They put a lot of hours in to put us in a position to win.

Q: Looking back on your career at UNI, what are you most proud of?
A: I am most proud of being elected a captain by my teammates. Earning that respect from the guys you go to war was the greatest accomplishment of my life so far.

Q: What makes the UNI-Dome special?
A: What makes the Dome so special is the fans. They bring that place to life and we really thrived off their energy and they gave us a boost, especially on defense. Panther Nation made the difference in close games and really gave us the support that we needed as players. All the students, fans, and alumni really made the Dome special and brought the Dome Magic to life. There's no feeling like running out of that garage door to a full Dome before a game. That is one of the best feelings in the world and really gets your adrenaline pumping.

Q: Now that your time at UNI is done, how will it feel to not be coached by your father?
A: It will be different. It's all I've known for the past four years being at practice with him every day and being in meetings and all that with him. I will miss watching film and preparing for opponents with my dad and grinding during the week with him. It will be weird not being a part of the team and not seeing my father at practice every day, but I couldn't have asked for a better four years. He is an unbelievable coach and a big reason I became the player I did and why our team was so successful.

Q: What was it like growing up in the Farley household, how was the father/coach relationship?
A: I was pretty much a competition 24/7, 365 between my brother Jake, and my sister Jamie growing up in our household. We would compete in about every little thing possible and there were a lot of fights between us that would drive my mom, Lori, crazy. Growing up a coach's kid we got to experience a lot of cool things and I have been on the sidelines of UNI games since I was 5-years-old. Growing up around the game and having football be a huge part of my life was awesome. Coach Farley has been my coach my whole life and he spent countless hours with me in our basement working out and trying to get me to be the best I could. This brought us closer and my time at UNI with him as my coach and dad is something I will always cherish.

Q: What is your most memorable game at UNI?
A: My most memorable game was when we beat Iowa State my junior year. I sealed the game with a late interception and that same game gave Coach Farley the record for wins at UNI. That was a cool experience beating a Big-12 team and sealing my dad's record with an interception.

Q: Looking ahead to next year, how do you think the 2018 Panthers will do?
A: I think they will do great next season. They have a lot of talent coming back and some new talent that has been added as well. I think they have all the right players and coaches in place to do great things. I have high expectations for this team and I will be behind them the whole way.

Q: Who is one player on the roster that you think will be a breakout player next year?
A: I expect a lot of guys to have a breakout year next season. We had a lot of young guys get experience last season and I think guys like Jake Hartford, Korby Sander, and Suni Lane are a few that will have a great year.

Q: What legacy did you leave at UNI?
A: I don't know what legacy I left at UNI. I just wanted to continue the excellence of teams and defenses at UNI. I hope that our teams' accomplishments of winning a lot of games and doing things the right way are the legacy that we left. I think we left UNI in a better place than when we first got here as freshmen and I think that is a great accomplishment.

Q: If you could go back four years and give yourself advice, what would you say?
A: I would tell myself to make sure I took the time to take in the moment and enjoy it. Those four years flew by and you can never get them back, so enjoy every second of it because you'll miss all those little moments with teammates and coaches when you are done.

Q: What was the toughest moment at UNI and how did you overcome it?
A: My toughest moment was recovering from ankle surgery and having a stress fracture in my leg my junior year. This was not easy, and I had to play through some things that held me back. I was able to overcome this with the help of all my teammates and coaches and doing well for them and not letting them down. Also, Travis Stueve and the training staff put in many hours with me to help get me as healthy as possible and get me to Saturday, so I could perform.

Q: How would it feel to achieve your dream of playing in the NFL?
A: It would feel like a dream come true. It has been my dream and goal to make it to the NFL since I was a little kid. All my hard work since I was a little would all come full circle and it would be an amazing experience to make the NFL. This is what I have been working for my entire life.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself this time next year?
A: I hope to be on an active NFL roster. I want to play this game as long as possible.

Q: What message do you have for your teammates, coaches and Panther nation?
A: I would just say how blessed and grateful I am to have been a part of this team with so many great people. I'm thankful my teammates stood behind me and the brotherhood we made will never be broken. To the coaches, thanks for all the help on and off the field. I became the player I was because of the great coaches we had and their sacrifices for us as players didn't go unnoticed. To Panther Nation, thanks for your endless support. It means a lot to us as players and I met a lot of great people that are proud Panther supporters in my four years. I will always be a Panther and will represent UNI as best as I possibly can in the future. GO PANTHERS!

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @UNIFootball on Twitter and @UNIPantherFootball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @UNIAthletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Life After UNI: 21 Questions with Jared Farley

Players Mentioned

Jared Farley

Jake Hartford

Suni Lane

Korby Sander

Upcoming Events