Compared to what life has handed him, the indoor football grind is small potatoes for Sugar Skulls offensive lineman Isame Faciane — and no, not the potatoes that go into his family’s renowned crawfish boil.
“We had a nice family thing going on. Whether it was holidays or people hanging out, all sorts of people would pop up. It was cool to always have people around you who love you,” Faciane said, as the Tucson Sugar Skulls (7-6) prepare to face the San Diego Strike Force (3-10) on Saturday. “Back home in Louisiana, it’s family-oriented and good food.”
The Tucson Sugar Skulls’ 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pound left tackle was raised by his grandparents. His grandmother, Delores Bears, took over when Faciane’s grandfather died from a brain tumor.
The year before his grandfather passed away, a 14-year-old Faciane — and his family — endured Hurricane Katrina. Rather than safety in neighboring states, Faciane’s family stayed put and checked into a Red Roof Inn owned by his uncle.
“As the storm is passing, we look across the street and see a hotel get blown away. Eventually, we were able to get out and move around on power lines lying,” Faciane said. “By the time we got to our side of town, it was flooded. It started off at our ankles and ended up at our waists. We had about 6 feet of water in our house.”
For days, Faciane’s family lived in the tarped house and slept on air mattresses.
“We grew stronger from that, but it was definitely an experience that I’ll never forget as long as I live,” Faciane said.
“One thing I learned about that experience, you have to make stuff happen on your own. You can’t wait for a handout, because it took us a long time to get aid from anybody, the government, FEMA — anybody. But our tight-knit family banded together and helped each other out and made stuff happen. As a man, it moved me a lot. Don’t wait for no hand-outs. If you want to make it happen, you have to do it yourself.”
It fueled Faciane into becoming a star defensive lineman at Salmen and a scholarship to Florida International; Faciane was a three-year starter for the Panthers from 2011-13.
Faciane signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, joining former FIU defensive line coach Andre Patterson, and was converted to an offensive guard. Faciane played two seasons for the Vikings, but was released following a DWI arrest in 2016.
“Life happened and it hit him backwards,” said Sugar Skulls head coach and general manager Dixie Wooten. “But one thing about Isame, he doesn’t stop.”
Faciane also had practice squad stints with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
“You’ll never forget the feeling of playing in the NFL. … It’s the best thing ever and I enjoyed that to the fullest,” Faciane said. “You’re the 1% of the 1%. The feeling is so immense, you really have to be there to experience it.”
Faciane has played in every professional football league in North America except for the USFL since his stint in the NFL. In 2018, he joined Wooten’s Iowa Barnstormers. He’s played for the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and started for the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks before the league was shuttered for the pandemic.
Now in his second season with the Sugar Skulls, Faciane has emerged as one of the top offensive linemen in the IFL, carving paths for All-IFL running back Mike Jones, who is atop of the IFL with 33 touchdowns and ranks fifth in rushing yards (572). Faciane also protects an IFL MVP hopeful in quarterback Daquan Neal, who has a 42-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season.
“At the end of the day, without the left tackle, it would be tough for Daquan to make all of those throws, and it would be tough in the run game,” Wooten said.
In January, Faciane will join the Seattle Dragons of the revamped XFL.
“When you put in the hard work in the IFL, you get a chance to move up, and that’s what’s happening with Isame. Isame works hard every day, the strongest in the weight room,” Wooten said. “He’s the first one to practice, last one to leave with Daquan. He motivates the guys and now he’s getting called up to the XFL again.”
Added Wooten: “He studies like no other, so he knows everybody’s moves that they’ll try to do against him, so he’s one step ahead of everyone he plays against.”
Faciane has enjoyed his time in Tucson, even though it will be short-lived.
“We’ve had some good times, we’ve had some bad times,” Faciane said. “But the good times outweigh the bad. We have some great players and some great guys who are new to this. It moves a little bit faster than regular football, so I’m trying to get these guys aboard and have everyone on the same course, so we can make a playoff run.”
From Slidell, Louisiana to Minneapolis; from residing in Toronto to playing near the Mexico border in Tucson, those countless battles at the line of scrimmage — on both sides — have taken Faciane around the continent.
“I’ve been at it for a long time. I love the game and I love where it’s taken me,” Faciane said.
“It all started when I was a little one in Louisiana.”
