Matt Farniok (born September 26, 1997) is an American professional

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for the

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of the United Football League (UFL). He was selected by the

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in the seventh round of the

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. He played

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Early life

Farniok attended Washington High School. As a sophomore, he became a starter at the

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

. As a junior, he received Class 11AAA All-state and Sioux Falls Argus Leader's Elite 45 honors. As a senior in 2015, Matt Farniok contributed to the team winning the state title. He received South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, first-team Parade All-American, Class 11AAA All-state and Sioux Falls Argus Leader's Elite 45 honors. Farniok was ranked as a threestar recruit by

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coming out of high school. He committed to

on January 27, 2016.

College career

As a

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freshman, he appeared in 7 games with 4 starts. He had 2 starts at

right tackle A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and Defensive tackle, defense. In the modern system of ...

and 2 starts at

right guard In American football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is an offensive line player who lines up between the center and the tackles. Like other offensive line positions, guards are used primarily for blocking. Right ...

. As a sophomore, he was named the starter at right tackle, contributing to the team averaging 456.2 yards of total offense. As a junior, he started all 12 games at right tackle. As a senior in 2020, the football season was reduced to 8 games due to the

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. He became one of 13 two-time captains in school history, while starting all 8 games on the

. He started 7 contests at right guard and one contest at

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Farniok was selected by the

in the seventh round (238th overall) of the

. He signed a four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021. As a rookie, he appeared in 12 games, playing mostly in kick protection on

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. He was declared inactive for the Wild Card playoff game. In 2022, he appeared in 7 games, starting two at left guard in place of an injured Connor McGovern. In addition to being a backup guard and center, he also acted as a blocking fullback in certain goal-line plays. His offensive snaps decreased after

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was promoted to the active roster in Week 3. He suffered a torn hamstring injury while blocking for an extra point attempt in the seventh game of the season, against the

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. On October 26, 2022, Farniok was placed on

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. In the 2023 preseason, he fell on the depth chart behind rookies Asim Richards and

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. He was waived on August 29, 2023.

Chicago Bears

On September 7, 2023, Farniok was signed to the

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of the

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. He was released on November 17.

Detroit Lions

On December 5, 2023, Farniok was signed to the

' practice squad. He was released on January 5, 2024. On January 23, Farniok re–signed with Detroit on a practice squad contract. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 30, 2024. Farniok was waived by the Lions on July 24.

Birmingham Stallions

On December 10, 2024, Farniok signed with the

Birmingham Stallions The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their ...

of the United Football League (UFL).

Arlington Renegades

On March 20, 2025, Farniok was claimed by the

of the United Football League (UFL).

Personal life

Farniok has three brothers who all played football at the

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level, Derek,

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, and Will.

References

External links

Nebraska Cornhuskers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farniok, Matt 1997 births Living people Players of American football from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Washington High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) alumni American football offensive linemen Nebraska Cornhuskers football players Dallas Cowboys players Chicago Bears players Detroit Lions players Birmingham Stallions (2022) players Arlington Renegades players