One of three finalists for the John Mackey Tight End Award in 2005, Fasano was one of four recipients of the Nick Pietrosante Award, given annually to players who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride shown by the late Notre Dame All-America fullback. Fasano, who is on track to graduate in May with a degree in Marketing from the Mendoza College of Business, decided to forgo his senior year to enter the 2006 NFL Draft.

"After a lot of thought and consideration, I have decided to make myself eligible for selection in the upcoming NFL Draft and will not return to Notre Dame for a fifth season," Fasano said. "This was not an easy decision for me to make. I was fortunate to have some of the best people in football to help me make this decision. The coaching staff at Notre Dame did a great job preparing me for the NFL. Coach Weis, the coaching staff, my professors and teammates have been a very positive influence in my personal growth on and off the field. While this ends my Notre Dame playing career, I know I will remain a member of the Fighting Irish football family for many years to come."

"Despite the fact that we'd love for Fasano to return, we also recognize that he has a great opportunity ahead of him," Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis said. "Fasano has been a great asset to the Notre Dame football program over the last four years and he's graduating this spring, leaving here with a Notre Dame degree. He's meant a lot to this program and is going to be missed both on and off the field."

At Verona High School, Fasano was a first-team New Jersey All-State pick by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he helped the team to the New Jersey state title among Group 1 schools. He earned four letters in football as a tight end and defensive lineman. Fasano threw the game-winning two-point conversion pass in the 2001 state title game and caught 78 passes for 1,460 yards and a county-record 23 touchdowns as senior in 2001. He also recorded 119 solo tackles that year.

Fasano caught 42 passes for 744 yards and 12 touchdowns and made 69 tackles as a junior for a 9-1 team in 2000. The two-time team captain had 168 career catches for more than 2,500 yards and finished with 42 career touchdown receptions (a county record). He set school records for receptions in a season and career, touchdowns in a season and solo tackles in a season.

Fasano played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio and was selected for the Governor's Bowl between New York and New Jersey prep stars. He earned 12 varsity letters, including four as a forward in basketball, two in baseball and two in track (javelin, shot put, 200 meters). He won the New Jersey Group I state title in javelin, with a throw of 185-1 during 2001 in his first year competing in the event. He was a two-time All-League pick in baseball and a three-time All-Conference selection in track. He served as captain of the track team as senior in 2002 and was a two-time All-State pick in that sport. He also served twice as captain in basketball and pitched a one-hitter in baseball in his first outing as a freshman.

Fasano redshirted as a freshman in 2002 at Notre Dame. He played in 11 games, starting three, and missed the Navy game with a back sprain in 2003. He made 18 catches for 169 yards (9.4 avg) and scored twice that year. He started nine games for the Irish in 2004, sitting out the Stanford game with a shoulder injury. Fasano finished with 27 receptions for 367 yards (13.6 avg) and four touchdowns.

With the arrival of head coach Charlie Weis, the tight end position became a vital cog in the offense's success. Fasano started every game and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the country. He caught a career-high 47 passes for 576 yards (12.3 avg) and two scores.

In 34 games with the Irish, Fasano started 24 times. He ranks second in school history among tight ends (11th overall) with 92 receptions and second among Irish tight ends with 1,112 yards receiving. He had eight touchdown catches and recorded four tackles (3 solos) on special teams.

Positives: Has a thick frame that is still developing and can carry additional bulk needed to compete consistently as a blocker at the next level … Has a smooth release and gets into stride quickly when working in the short area … Can swim over or fight through the jam well … Lacks top speed, but covers good ground to stretch and threaten the seam … Has good hand quickness to reach and extend for the ball, but also has been a decent body catcher when working in a crowd … Runs disciplined routes now, showing much better cutting ability and crisper angles in 2005 than he did in the past … Finds his marks and gets his head turned around in time to make the underneath catch … Shows good body lean and weight transfer that allow him to snap off his breaks and separate, compensating for a lack of ideal foot speed … Shows good focus and looks the ball in well when operating in traffic … Better at half speed than at full stride when adjusting to the ball, but can reach low or behind to make the grab … Not a great leaper, but when given time to plant and jump, he can extend and secure the ball … Lacks top finishing speed, but turns the ball upfield quickly with strength and some elusiveness … Has active feet to gain leverage blocking on the edge and works hard to locate and neutralize linebackers when cut blocking in space.

Negatives: Lacks the speed to threaten the deep seam … Needs to add more bulk in order to be more consistent as an in-line blocker, as he lacks the power base to sustain and hold ground vs. stunts and twists … Must time his leaps better to get to the ball at its high point … There were some concerns about his fumbles and lack of catches late in the 2005 season, but he was playing with a heavily-taped thumb to protect a ligament injury … Lacks the speed to separate after the catch and relies more on his power to break tackles in attempts to gain additional yardage … More of a finesse in-line blocker who needs to stay more square in attempts to sustain.

Fasano has a developing frame with a thick chest, good upper body muscle tone and bubble, thick calves and thighs and adequate hip flexibility. He has the ability to carry more bulk and still maintain his agility and short area quickness. He has good movements coming off the snap, showing smoothness in his route and enough acceleration to gain advantage. He generates a clean release, using his hands with force to defeat the jam.

Fasano shows the ability to squeeze through tight quarters to settle into the zone's soft area. He has a good feel for the underneath passing game and while he lacks top speed, he is very effective at covering ground to stretch and threaten the seam. He showed in 2005 improved sharpness and pattern progression. He now breaks off the route squarely and while he is used mostly on the tight end delay and underneath, he has enough burst to slip by and get up the seam (see 2005 Southern California, Tennessee and Navy games).

Fasano has the strength and short area quickness to separate in the short area. He runs disciplined routes, finds his marks, breaks cleanly and gets his head turned around in time to look the ball in. He is a big target over the middle and has a feel for coverage, doing a nice job of getting open in time for the quarterback to get the ball to him. He makes good body adjustments to the ball in flight and has the ability to uncover.

Fasano catches in his hands and body. He can extend high and low to make the off-target catches and is a consistently good receiver. He runs crisp digs, drags and option routes and shows good body lean and weight transfer that allow him to snap off his breaks and separate. He lacks the speed to be considered a deep threat, but gets into his routes smoothly and has the body control to adjust to the ball in flight.

He is a tough and physical receiver when working in a crowd. He has good hand/eye coordination to catch outside the framework and has some shake to elude after the catch. He will not win many foot races in the open, but turns it up hard and will bleed yardage after the catch. He is more of a power runner who breaks tackles rather than someone who will try to slip by and avoid defenders.

As a blocker, he is on the defender quickly and follows up with good strength, leverage and active feet. Fasano needs to add more bulk to be an adequate in-line blocker, but he works hard to sustain. He shows good balance and does an effective job adjusting to the linebacker in space to finish his block. He has just enough size to wall off the linebacker, but he is not going to pancake the bigger defensive linemen with his frame structure.

Fasano was groomed well as a junior under Charlie Weis' system, but could have certainly used another year. He is not a polished product, but well on his way to becoming one. He will never win foot races downfield or be an Antonio Gates type that can stretch the defense on a consistent basis. Some compare him to Mark Bavaro, but he is nowhere near the devastating blocker and dominating short area receiver that the former Giants great was. His receiving skills are more likened to that of the Ravens' Todd Heap ? an effective underneath pass catcher with the leg drive to fight for extra yardage. He will need more bulk to perform consistently as a blocker, but is technically sound and takes good angles to sustain.

If this was 2007, I would rank him as the elite at the tight end position, but there is a lot more depth in the 2006 draft class that will see him still be on the draft board late in the first day. Given time to develop and mature physically, some team will not have to worry about their tight end position for a few years, if they select Fasano.

Ranks 11th overall and second among Irish tight ends with 92 career receptions, topped only by Ken MacAfee (128, 1974-77) … Fasano's 47 catches in 2005 rank second on the Irish single-season list for tight ends behind MacAfee's 54 in 1977 … His 1,112 yards receiving also rank second in school history for tight ends, surpassed only by MacAfee's 1,759 … Caught at least one pass in his last 20 games.

All-America third-team and All-Independent first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report … One of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the nation … One of four recipients of the Nick Pietrosante Award in '05, given annually to players who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and pride shown by the late Irish All-America fullback … Started every game at the "Y" receiver (tight end) position … Caught a career-high 47 passes for 576 yards (12.3 avg) and two touchdowns … Was bothered late in the year by a thumb injury … Recorded three tackles (2 solos) while logging 103 appearances on special teams … Of the 75 passes targeted to Fasano, he converted 28 of his 47 catches into first downs, including six coming on third-down plays … In addition to his two scoring grabs, he set up seven other touchdowns and one field goal with key catches on those drives … Nine of his receptions were for 20 yards or longer … Registered seven blocks that resulted in touchdowns … Fumbled three times, with the opposition recovering two.

Pittsburgh … Opened the season with four catches for 42 yards … Three of them were good for first downs … Tackled Darrelle Revis at the Pitt 43 after the cornerback intercepted a Brady Quinn pass and returned the ball 3 yards … Early in the second quarter, Fasano caught 12 and 18-yard passes from Quinn for first downs and then leveled linebacker H,B. Blades to spring fullback Rashon Powers-Neal for a 2-yard touchdown run.

Michigan … Added four catches for 18 yards, with three of those short passes resulting in first downs … Had a 7-yard grab for a first down, followed by a third-and-7 catch for a 9-yard gain during a 12-play, 72-yard drive in the second quarter that Fasano helped end when he upended linebacker Prescott Burgess on Brady Quinn's 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jeff Samardzija.

Michigan State … Had a career-high seven receptions for 93 yards, including three catches that resulted in first downs … Took down defensive end Clifton Ryan to give Brady Quinn time to find Jeff Samardzija with an 18-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter … Had 10 and 7-yard receptions during a 9-play, 80-yard drive, and finished it off by clearing a rush lane used by tailback Darius Walker for a 6-yard scoring run … With his seven catches, Fasano moved into fourth on the all-time catches list for tight ends with 60 catches, passing Tony Hunter (1979-82) and Mark Bavaro (1981-84) who each had 55 in their careers.

Washington … Followed with 66 yards on six catches, collecting four first downs, one on a third-down play … Had a 16-yard catch, followed by a cut block on linebacker Evan Benjamin that cleared away the final obstacle on a 17-yard touchdown run by tailback Darius Walker.

Purdue … Had 19 and 11-yard catches that were good for first downs.

Southern California … Gained 86 yards on four receptions, but turned the ball over once on a fumble … Caught a 12-yard pass from Brady Quinn and later during that drive, Fasano leveled defensive end Frostee Rucker to spring tailback Travis Thomas for a 16-yard touchdown run that capped a 13-play, 80-yard first quarter drive … In the third quarter, Fasano caught a 36-yard seam pass from Quinn but jammed his thumb on the play and was tackled by safety Darnell Bing, banging his shoulder when he hit the ground and fumbling the ball. It was recovered by USC's Keith Rivers at the USC 6 … With three catches in the game, Fasano had 71 for his career to rank second on the all-time receiving list for tight ends … Talking about the team's final drive in a tough 34-31 loss, Fasano said, "That was what our offense has been doing all year, taking long drives. We happened to step up at a key point, but we just didn't do enough earlier in the game. After a loss you have to think of your team's situation, where you are, and who you have to play next week. We've got to learn how to finish somebody and move on."

Brigham Young … Playing with his left thumb heavily taped, Fasano still managed to catch five passes for 55 yards, but also turned the ball over on a fumble … He had a 26-yard reception in the second quarter, followed by a block on linebacker Paul Walkenhorst to protect Brady Quinn from the blitz long enough to hit Maurice Stovall with a 15-yard scoring strike that ended a 76-yard, 8-play drive 4:18 before halftime … With 1:09 left in the first half, the Irish drove all the way to the Cougars' 11-yard line and were looking to score when the Cougars forced the second Notre Dame turnover of the half. Linebacker Quinn Gooch laid a helmet on Fasano, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Justin Robinson at the 6-yard line with just one second left before halftime … Penalized for a false start in the third quarter … Tackled Nathan Meikle on a 12-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee … Picked up 78 yards on four receptions with a touchdown … Three of his catches were good for first downs … Scored his first touchdown of the season on a 43-yard first quarter pass from Brady Quinn that ended an 11-play, 94-yard drive … Made a diving catch for a 10-yard gain to set up a 36-yard Notre Dame field goal in the fourth quarter.

Navy … Followed with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown … Caught a 26-yard pass from Brady Quinn late in the second quarter and two plays later, Fasano upended defensive end John Chan to pave the way for a 3-yard scoring run by Darius Walker with 2:08 left before halftime … With 0:40 remaining in the second half, Fasano grabbed a 30-yard pass from Quinn along the sidelines and then caught a third-and-goal pass from Quinn for an 8-yard touchdown.

Syracuse … Was limited by thumb and shoulder injuries, catching two passes for a season-low 7 yards … Tackled Bruce Williams on a 7-yard punt return in the second quarter.

Stanford … Caught three passes for 19 yards, but dropped two others due to his heavily-taped left thumb … Did catch a third-and-4 pass from Brady Quinn for 11 yards, setting up Quinn's 10-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Stovall in the third quarter.

Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl) … Closed out his career with two receptions for 12 yards, but also fumbled once and dropped two passes … His fumble occurred in the third quarter on a 7-yard catch, as safety Donte Whitner stripped the ball from Fasano, but Irish receiver Matt Shelton recovered it at the ND 39 … On the team's last-ditch scoring drive, Fasano had a third-and-2 catch for 5 yards and a first down, but then allowed defensive end Mike Kudla to slip by and sack QB Brady Quinn for a 6-yard loss, ending the game.

Played in 11 games, starting nine … Sat out the Stanford game with a shoulder contusion … Finished second on the team with 27 receptions for 367 yards (13.6 avg) and four touchdowns … Recorded a solo tackle while making 10 special team appearances.

Brigham Young … Opened the season with four receptions for 60 yards.

Michigan … Recorded a solo tackle.

Washington … Caught three passes for 41 yards and touchdowns of 18 and 15 yards on passes from QB Brady Quinn.

Purdue … Earned Mackey Award Player of the Week honors, as he set a school single-game record for tight ends with 155 yards on eight catches, including a long of 42 yards.

Stanford … Did not play due to a shoulder contusion.

Navy … Returned to action with an 18-yard reception.

Boston College … Made three catches for 12 yards.

Tennessee … Managed only two catches for 16 yards, but one was good for an 8-yard score on a first quarter pass from Brady Quinn that capped an 80-yard, 7-play drive.

Pittsburgh … Followed with 27 yards on three receptions.

Southern California … Caught two balls for 25 yards.

Oregon State (Insight Bowl) … Beat middle linebacker Trent Bray to catch a 13-yard touchdown bubble screen pass from Brady Quinn that ended a 13-play, 84-yard drive with 0:56 left in the first half.

Played in 11 games, starting vs. Pittsburgh, Boston College and Syracuse, as a key part of the tight end rotation with Billy Palmer, Jared Clark and Marcus Freeman … Sat out the Navy game due to back spasms … Finished fourth on the team with 18 receptions for 169 yards (9.4 avg) and two touchdowns … Made 153 special team appearances.

Michigan … His first career reception was good for an 18-yard gain.

Michigan State … Added a 15-yard catch.

Pittsburgh … Caught two passes for 15 yards.

Southern California … Followed with four catches for 33 yards, scoring his first career touchdown on a 2-yard pass from QB Brady Quinn in the first quarter.

Boston College … Followed with four receptions for 48 yards.

Florida State … Gained 18 yards on four catches before leaving the game with a back sprain.

Syracuse … Closed out the season with three catches for 21 yards and a 5-yard touchdown on a third quarter throw from Brady Quinn.

Redshirted as a freshman.

2003: Sat out the Navy game (11/08) with back spasms.

2004: Did not play vs. Stanford (10/09) due to a shoulder sprain.

2005: Played most of the second half of the year with his left thumb heavily taped because of a ligament strain (10/08) … Also suffered a slight shoulder contusion vs. Southern California (10/15).

Campus: 4.88 in the 40-yard dash … 365-pound bench press … 470-pound squat … 7.43 three-cone drill … 30-inch vertical jump.

Attended Verona (N.J.) High School … First-team New Jersey All-State pick by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he helped the team to the New Jersey state title among Group 1 schools … Earned four letters in football as a tight end and defensive lineman … Threw the game-winning two-point conversion pass in the 2001 state title game and caught 78 passes for 1,460 yards and a county-record 23 touchdowns as senior in 2001 … Also recorded 119 solo tackles that year … Caught 42 passes for 744 yards and 12 touchdowns and made 69 tackles as a junior for a 9-1 team in 2000 … The two-time team captain had 168 career catches for more than 2,500 yards and finished with 42 career touchdown receptions, a county record … Set school records for receptions in a season and career, touchdowns in a season and solo tackles in a season … Played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio and was selected for the Governor's Bowl between New York and New Jersey prep stars … Earned 12 varsity letters, including four as a forward in basketball, two in baseball and two in track (javelin, shot put, 200 meters) … Won the New Jersey Group I state title in javelin with a throw of 185-1 during 2001 in his first year competing in the event … Two-time All-League pick in baseball and three-time All-Conference selection in track … Served as captain of the track team as senior in 2002 and was a two-time All-State pick in that sport … Served twice as captain in basketball and pitched a one-hitter in baseball in his first outing as a freshman.

Marketing major, on track to graduate in May from the Mendoza College of Business …

Member of the Notre Dame Student-Athlete Advisory Council … Born Anthony Joseph Fasano on 4/20/84 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey … Resides in Verona, New Jersey.