George Fant participates in American football as an offensive lineman for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played basketball and football at Western Kentucky University. He was a free agent undrafted signing in 2016 for the Seattle Seahawks. In 2018, Seattle started using Fant as a hybrid tight end on tackle-eligible plays.
Fant’s 2017 season was cut short as he tore his ACL in the second game of the preseason. He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2017.
Following rookie tight end Will Dissly’s injury in week four’s game vs the Arizona Cardinals, Fant started to perform the duties of both an offensive lineman and a tight end. He would line up as the sixth offensive lineman, either inside or outside, and declare himself a qualified receiver. Fant performed admirably in this new role and contributed to the Seahawks’ ranking as the league’s top rushing offense in 2018.
Fant snagged his first career pass from quarterback Russell Wilson on December 10, 2018, during a Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings in week 13.
Fant continued to play hybrid lineman with the Seahawks in 2019. For a portion of the season, he filled in for an injured Duane Brown as the starting offensive tackle’s primary backup.
In a Monday Night Football game on December 2, 2019, between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings, Fant gained notoriety as he helped the Seahawks rush for a season-high 218 yards and a 37-30 victory. He lined up along the line in a number of spots during the course of the game, reporting as an eligible receiver on 42 plays.
On April 23, 2020, Fant and the New York Jets reached an agreement on a three-year, $30 million deal.
Chastity Gooch, a former women’s basketball player for Western Kentucky, is the mother of two of Fant’s children. His second child, Jayden Fant, was born the day before his Seahawks practice in the spring of 2017.