Griffin Faulkner’s senior football season was almost over before it even began at Old Town High School.
The defensive lineman and tight end was told right before the Coyotes’ first game that he might have to stop playing the game entirely.
“I was having internal struggles with my organs. And the doctor said there was a chance I’d never be able to play football again,” Faulkner said this week.
Not only did Faulkner end up playing this season, but he had such a strong year as a defensive end that he was recently named as a finalist for the Frank Gaziano defensive lineman of the year award.
Faulkner is one of three finalists statewide for the award. This was his first year in Old Town after transferring from Bangor High School. And his internal organ issues weren’t the first personal hurdle he had to overcome.
“I mean, all my life has been categorized by adversity,” Faulkner said. “I’ve had health issues ever since I was a young kid. I tore my patellar tendon freshman year.”
Add in the worrying prognosis early in the season, and the challenges had stacked up for the senior.
“And just being able to overcome that, and being in a new environment in Old Town, and them welcoming me the way they did, and just being able to ball out the way I did and bounce back after that — I think it really opened my eyes and maybe showed me that I was more capable than I thought,” he said.
It certainly didn’t hurt that Faulkner’s head coach at Old Town this year, David Gross, was himself a Gaziano Award winner during his high school career in Bucksport.
“He’s very invested in everything he does, whether that be the classroom, the football field, the community,” Gross said about Faulkner. “The Gaziano Award is awarded to not only the best offensive and defensive lineman, but somebody that also excels academically, excels in the community and on the football field. And there’s no better representation of that than Griffin Faulkner.”
Gross said Faulkner didn’t see much varsity playing time early in his high school career.
“And when that happens, you can either be OK with where you’re at, or you can take some accountability. And he did,” Gross said. “He really invested in the weight room and learning how to really play defensive end at a high level from run stopping to pass rushing.”
Gross said Faulkner led the conference in sacks and led defensive ends in tackles for a loss.
Faulkner said it was an honor to be named among the other finalists, and said it was the culmination of a lot of long hours and hard work.
“I can’t put into words how grateful I am,” Faulkner said. “It’s been such a long and hard journey, and there’s been so many people who have impacted me and my life, and I’m just so grateful.”
That gratitude extends to the award selection committee, his family, friends, coaching staff and God, he said.
And he highly values the opportunity to learn from Gross, who played at UMaine after high school.
“Being able to be trained by him and being able to be coached up by him, it really was a lot of help,” Faulkner said about Gross. “He really did step up for me in a big way. He felt like he was more of a big brother to me, or like a father figure of sorts. He means the world to me, man. He really believed in me and he pushed me.”
Faulkner also was grateful for his teammates and the chance to help lead them as a captain in his first year on the team.
“It meant the world to just have the guys’ support. And it was unwavering,” he added. “I always told them every time I was going on the field, I said, ‘I got your back and you got mine.’”
The Gaziano award winners, one for top defensive lineman and one for offensive lineman, are slated to be announced on Jan. 23. The winners each receive $5,000 and the runners-up receive $1,000.