Fauria stretching expectations

Joseph Fauria is a 6-foot-7 tight end at Encino Crespi who used to be so slow that during the time it took him to run a 40-yard dash, Takeru Kobayashi, the world-record holder for hot dog eating, would have stuffed three into his mouth.

“You know how you’re having a nightmare and trying to run away from somebody but you’re not going anywhere,” Fauria said. “That’s how I felt. It was like I was tied down to something.”

Fauria was experiencing the consequences of rapid growth, leaving him awkward and uncoordinated as a freshman and sophomore.

This season, as a 16-year-old junior, he is one of the most improved players in the Southland, having caught 15 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns.

“The kid is 6-7 and catches pretty much everything that hits his hands,” Coach Jeremiah Ross said.

And even more startling is what Ross and his assistant coaches noticed on video. “Darn, he’s actually moving,” Ross said.

No one should be surprised that Fauria, with his curly black hair, is on his way to becoming an impact player. After all, the Fauria name is synonymous with football excellence at Crespi.

His three uncles -- Lance, Quinn and Christian -- were standouts for the Celts in the 1980s. Christian earned three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. He’s in his 12th NFL season, playing tight end this year for the Washington Redskins.

“The first thing I do every Saturday morning is go online to see how he’s doing,” Christian said of his nephew.

In Christian’s office are two photos of Joseph taken a year apart. In the first, the 6-4 Christian is taller than his nephew. “In the second, he’s taller than me,” Christian said. “Every time I talk to him, he’s taller, his voice is deeper ...”

But now, Joseph is pleading for his growing to cease.

“Hopefully I’ve stopped, because I don’t see any 6-11 tight ends,” he said.

Fauria has the benefit of receiving advice from all three of his mother Julie’s brothers. Lance is a former high school football coach working in the fencing business. Quinn is a podiatrist and one of the most respected foot surgeons in the Southland. And Christian calls every Friday.

“I listen to all three,” Joseph said. “They give great insight.”

Fauria is an honor student but also a typical Fauria, meaning he can’t stop talking. That got him into trouble in his early high school days.

“The teachers did not like me,” he said. “I was the worst kind of student. I was really bad when it came to behavior and really good when it came to studies.”

But Fauria said he has matured and “learned when to be serious.”

His mother, a nurse who has raised him as a single parent, has been an inspiration.

“I get most of my strength from my mom,” he said. “It’s been hard for both of us. Recently, I decided to go to church more often and I’m following her. She’s great.”

Another influential person for Joseph is his grandfather, Ashley Fauria, who’s 64, has 11 grandchildren and is still working as a private investigator. He enjoys watching the latest family member excel in football.

“Oh man, it’s so exciting,” Ashley said.

When Joseph turns 18, his grandfather might hire him for surveillance work, though Christian once fell asleep on a surveillance job, and there’s the slight concern about Joseph remaining inconspicuous at 6-7.

“Trust me,” he said. “I’ll do a couple of jobs.”

Crespi has a 5-3 overall record but faces tough tests with home games Friday against Los Angeles Loyola and next week against unbeaten Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

But Fauria is part of a talented group of juniors who keep improving every week.

As for the future, Fauria, at 232 pounds, wants to keep getting stronger and faster.

Some have suggested he might eventually become a left offensive tackle, but he said, “I will not accept that. My hands shouldn’t go to waste, my athletic ability shouldn’t go to waste.”

He’s got tight end in his blood. He remembers as a first-grader Uncle Quinn taking him out on the street and throwing him a football.

“He gunned the ball at me as hard as he could and I started crying,” Joseph said. “He went, ‘Don’t be a baby.’ I still caught the ball. Maybe that’s why I can catch it today.”

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com