Jim Finn

Jim Finn

refer to caption

Finn at New York Giants training camp
No. 36, 20
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1976-12-09) December 9, 1976
Place of birth: Teaneck, New Jersey
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school: Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic
College: Pennsylvania
NFL Draft: 1999 / Round: 7 / Pick: 253
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 60
Receiving yards: 423
Receiving touchdowns: 1
Games played: 106
Player stats at NFL.com

James Finn Jr. (born December 9, 1976) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Pennsylvania.

High school career

Finn was born in Teaneck, New Jersey and grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey,[1] and attended Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey where he starred in both football and wrestling. An All-State pick in both sports, he was the 189-pound class state champion and posted a 33-2 record as a senior.[2] Because no Division I-A recruiters were seeking him, Finn sought a Division I-AA program and committed with the University of Pennsylvania.[3][4]

College career

Finn was a four-year letterman while playing college football at the University of Pennsylvania, where he accumulated 2,277 rushing yards, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in school history. He also scored 180 points for fifth on the all-time list. He was an All-Ivy League player as a senior and junior. In his senior season, Finn set school records for yards, rushing attempts, and rushing touchdowns.[5]

Penn first experimented with having Finn play both offense and defense on October 18, 1997, against Columbia. In that game, Finn ran for 138 yards on 24 carries including one touchdown for 15 yards but fumbled on Columbia's 3-yard line on a 50-yard run. With the 24-7 win, Penn beat Columbia for the first time since 1994.[6]

In addition to being named an All-Ivy Team member, Finn was named Player of the Year. He also holds school records for most rushing attempts, rushing yards, and touchdowns in a game. Before being converted permanently into a fullback, Finn briefly played as a safety, even starting a few games as a sophomore. While at Penn, Finn became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Finn also attended the Wharton School at Penn and graduated with a degree in finance in 1999.[7][8]

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BPWonderlic
6 ft 0 in 228 lb 4.62 s 1.63 s 2.68 s 4.21 s 7.18 s 31½ in 9 ft 0 in 24 repsx
Broad jump from Tennessee Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine.[9]

Playing history

Finn was drafted with the final pick (nicknamed Mr. Irrelevant) of the seventh round in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, but was waived, and spent time on their practice squad. Finn signed with the Indianapolis Colts in early 2000, where he accumulated 44 yards in six rushing attempts and 10 receptions over three seasons.[2][5] However, the Colts' offense specialized more with two tight ends rather than a fullback.[3] In the spring of 2003, Finn signed with the New York Giants.[2] In his Giants career, Finn had seven rushing yards from three attempts. He has seen more action as a receiver out of the backfield, with 325 receiving yards and 42 receptions in his tenure with New York.

In 2005, Finn played in all 16 regular season games with 13 starts including the NFC Wild Card Playoff against the Carolina Panthers. His blocks for Tiki Barber helped Barber rush for a franchise-record 1,860 yards. Finn was primarily a blocking fullback for the Giants.[10]

Finn led the way for Barber's 203 yards performance against the Oakland Raiders. Also in 2005, in Washington D.C. he once again opened holes for Barber in the star back's second 200+ yard performance. Barber had a third 200+ yard performance when he ran for 220 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. Finn's season ended with 13 receptions for 98 yards, including the NFC Wild Card Game.

Finn missed the entire 2007 season (in which the Giants won Super Bowl XLII) after being placed on injured reserve. After the season, Finn was cut due to nagging injuries and the emergence of Madison Hedgecock whom the Giants signed to a multi-year contract extension.[11][12][13]

Finn and Brandon Stokley are the only two players in NFL history to have caught a pass from both Eli and Peyton Manning. Finn and Stokley were actually teammates on the 1999 Kelly Blue Grey All-Star football game played in Montgomery, Alabama on Christmas Day for seniors entering the 1999 NFL Draft.

Personal life

He is the son of James and Jane Finn. Finn married actress Rosa Blasi on February 14, 2004, in Maui. They had one child and divorced in 2008.[14][15]

Finn is a resident in Los Angeles County, CA. He has also lived in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.[8]

Finn was a named plaintiff in one of the lawsuits filed by former NFL players against the league, alleging that the NFL had failed to warn its players about the risk of long term damage from repeated concussions incurred from playing football.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Giants Re-Sign FB Jim Finn, New York Giants, March 28, 2005. Accessed March 29, 2011. "Finn grew up in Fair Lawn, N.J., and was a star at Bergen Catholic High School, both of which are located a long punt from Giants Stadium."
  2. 1 2 3 Zinser, Lynn (September 6, 2003). "For Giants' Finn, There's No Place Like Home". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2012. "To have a career, Finn beat the odds. He was a lightly regarded player at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J. He moved to fullback at Penn, giving him a better chance to become a pro."
  3. 1 2 Zinser, Lynn (August 19, 2003). "A Jets Fan Tries to Become a Giant". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Jim Finn". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Jim Finn". New York Giants. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007.
  6. ↑ Rosenberg, Michael (October 19, 1997). "Finn Just Fine In Penn's Victory". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  7. ↑ Silary, Ted (April 19, 1999). "Penn RB Finn Hoping To Become Relevant After Bears Take Him Last". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Porter, David (September 2005). "Being Jim Finn". Penn Gazette. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  9. ↑ Jim Finn, Pro Scout Draft.com
  10. ↑ Branch, John (November 11, 2005). "Giants' Finn Is the Anonymous Blocking Back". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  11. ↑ Michael Eisen - Story - 6.13 Mini-Camp Report for Wednesday, June 13 - Giants.com Archived June 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ http://thebergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNTEyNzAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "Farewell to Finn", New York Daily News, February 14, 2008, at archive.org.
  14. ↑ "Monitor", Entertainment Weekly, March 5, 2004.
  15. ↑ "Rosa Blasi Marries Todd William Harris", People, May 8, 2014.
  16. ↑ Lisa Rose, "Former NFL players say they didn't know Toradol hid concussions", The Star-Ledger, December 6, 2011.
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