:Chris Farasopoulos

{{Short description|American football player (born 1949)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

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{{Infobox CFL biography

| name =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|7|20|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Piraeus, Greece

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| position1 = Defensive back

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| college = BYU

| NFLDraftedYear = 1971

| NFLDraftedRound = 3 / Pick 58

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| playing_years1 = 1971–1973

| playing_team1 = New York Jets

| playing_years2 = 1974

| playing_team2 = New Orleans Saints

| career_highlights =

| DatabaseFootball = FARASCHR01

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Chris Farasopoulos (born July 20, 1949) is a former American football player, Brigham Young alumnus and retired business executive.

After his graduation from North Torrance High School, he was selected 79th overall in the fourth round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.[https://www.prosportstransactions.com/baseball/DraftTrades/1967-1-10.htm 1967 MLB June Draft Pick Transactions, June 6 (Rounds 1–10) – Pro Sports Transactions.] Retrieved October 29, 2024. The second baseman chose not to accept the Orioles' $5,000 offer. He explained, "I might have signed except that the Orioles' scout wanted to change my name to something like Faras. That infuriated me. It was like offering to take only half of me."[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/03/archives/farasopoulos-making-it-with-jets.html Goldaper, Sam. "Farasopoulos Making It With Jets," The New York Times, Friday, September 3, 1971.] Retrieved October 29, 2024. He added, "If the Orioles wanted me, they had to take all of me."[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/30/archives/-as-jets-gather-speedy-men-for-kick-returns.html Anderson, Dave. "...As Jets Gather Speedy Men for Kick Returns," The New York Times, Saturday, January 30, 1971.] Retrieved October 29, 2024.{{cn|date=February 2015}}

He chose instead to accept a full and guaranteed football scholarship from Brigham Young University where he was hailed as "the Galloping Greek" by the Arizona Republic. Best known{{whom|date=February 2015}} for his agility and speed at BYU, Farasopoulos played defensive back as well as punt and kickoff return. In 1968, he set a Western Athletic Conference record for average yards returned per kickoff at 27.2, a record that stood until Chad Owens's 29.4 average yards per return years later.

After selecting John Riggins and John Mooring in the first and second rounds of the 1971 NFL draft, the New York Jets chose Farasopoulos in the third round with the 58th pick overall. During his rookie season, he began a lasting friendship with teammates Riggins and Burgess Owens . All three were known for the spirit they contributed to the New York Jets team.{{whom|date=May 2017}} Later in his career Farasopoulos played for the New Orleans Saints.

Farasopoulos holds a BS in human performance from Brigham Young University and spent 13 years at Integrated Device Technology Inc. in various operations management positions both at IDT's Technology Center and IDT's Static RAM Division in Salinas, California. Before joining IDT, Farasopoulos held management positions at VLSI Technology Inc. and National Semiconductor. Most recently Farasopoulos was responsible for customer operations and business development as vice president with QuickSil of Fremont, California.

Farasopoulos is the only son of Vasilios Farasopoulos and Theodora Farasopoulos. Farasopoulos is married, has three daughters (two of whom are twins) and lives with his family in California.

==See also==

• List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders