Jim Finn
Encyclopedia
James Finn, Jr. is an American football
fullback
who is currently a free agent
. He was originally drafted
by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Pennsylvania. Website
as a freshman and 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.
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 player as a senior and junior. In his senior season, Finn set school records for yards, rushing attempts, and rushing touchdowns.
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.
) 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 nine yards in six rushing attempts over three seasons. In the spring of 2003, Finn signed with the New York Giants
. In his Giants career, Finn has 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.
2005: Played in all 16 regular season games with 13 starts including the NFC Wild Card Game against the Carolina Panthers. His blocks for Tiki Barber
helped him rush for a franchise-record 1,860 yards.
Finn led the way for Tiki's 203 yards performance against the Oakland Raiders
. Also in 2005, in Washington D.C. he once again opened holes for Tiki in the star back's second 200+ yard performance. Finn's consistency and work ethic led directly to the career-high, Giants-record, and third 200 yard rushing game that year when Barber notched 220 yards vs. Kansas City. Finn's season ended with 13 receptions for 98 yards with no touches, including the NFC Wild Card Game.
Finn missed the entire 2007 NFL season
after being placed on injured reserve
. Finn was cut due to nagging injuries and the emergence of Madison Hedgecock
who the Giants locked up for a multi-year extension.
on February 14, 2004, in Maui
. Rosa and Jim welcomed their first child, Kaia Jane Finn, on September 20, 2006. Kaia Jane, who weighed 7 lb (3.2 kg). 3 oz, and was 20 inches (508 mm) long at the time of birth, was born two weeks premature. Jim and Rosa later divorced in 2008.
Finn is a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was originally drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Pennsylvania. Website
High school career
Finn grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and attended both Fair Lawn High SchoolFair Lawn High School
Fair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools...
as a freshman and Bergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade...
in Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
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.
College career
Finn was a four-year letterman while playing college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, 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 player as a senior and junior. In his senior season, Finn set school records for yards, rushing attempts, and rushing touchdowns.
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
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity.
Pre-draft
Finn was drafted with the final pick (nicknamed Mr. IrrelevantMr. Irrelevant
"Mr. Irrelevant" is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft.- Irrelevant Week :The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. He announced the final...
) of the seventh round in the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
by the Chicago Bears, but was waived, and spent time on their practice squad. Finn signed with the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in early 2000, where he accumulated nine yards in six rushing attempts over three seasons. In the spring of 2003, Finn signed with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In his Giants career, Finn has 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.
2005: Played in all 16 regular season games with 13 starts including the NFC Wild Card Game against the Carolina Panthers. His blocks for Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
helped him rush for a franchise-record 1,860 yards.
Finn led the way for Tiki's 203 yards performance against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Also in 2005, in Washington D.C. he once again opened holes for Tiki in the star back's second 200+ yard performance. Finn's consistency and work ethic led directly to the career-high, Giants-record, and third 200 yard rushing game that year when Barber notched 220 yards vs. Kansas City. Finn's season ended with 13 receptions for 98 yards with no touches, including the NFC Wild Card Game.
Finn missed the entire 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
after being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. Finn was cut due to nagging injuries and the emergence of Madison Hedgecock
Madison Hedgecock
Madison Smith Hedgecock is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina....
who the Giants locked up for a multi-year extension.
Family
He is the son of James and Jane Finn. Finn married actress Rosa BlasiRosa Blasi
Rosa Blasi is an American actress.-Early life:Blasi was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Rocco and Joyce Blasi. Blasi is classically trained as a mezzo soprano. She also comes from a strong theatre background; ranging from the esteemed Piven Performance Company, as well as The Second City, to...
on February 14, 2004, in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Rosa and Jim welcomed their first child, Kaia Jane Finn, on September 20, 2006. Kaia Jane, who weighed 7 lb (3.2 kg). 3 oz, and was 20 inches (508 mm) long at the time of birth, was born two weeks premature. Jim and Rosa later divorced in 2008.
Finn is a resident of Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
.