Jim Finn

Finn was born in Teaneck, New Jersey and grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.[http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=6103 Giants Re-Sign FB Jim Finn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519100543/http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=6103 |date=May 19, 2011 }}, 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." He attended Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, where he was involved in both football and wrestling.Branch, John. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/sports/football/11giants.html "Giants' Finn Is the Anonymous Blocking Back"], The New York Times, November 11, 2005. Accessed November 14, 2018. "Just last week Finn brought to work a tape from his days at Bergen Catholic High School, which Finn carried to a New Jersey state championship, and showed it to teammates between meetings." An All-State pick in both sports, he was the 189-pound class state champion and posted a 33–2 record as a senior. Because no Division I-A recruiters were seeking him, Finn sought a Division I-AA program and committed with the University of Pennsylvania.{{Cite news |last=Zinser |first=Lynn |date=August 19, 2003 |title=A Jets Fan Tries to Become a Giant |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/19/sports/football-a-jets-fan-tries-to-become-a-giant.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=February 10, 2012}}{{Cite web |title=Jim Finn |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FinnJi00.htm |access-date=September 12, 2012 |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Jim Finn |url=http://giants.com/team/player.asp?player_id=130 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809060129/http://giants.com/team/player.asp?player_id=130 |archive-date=August 9, 2007 |publisher=New York Giants}}

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.{{Cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Michael |date=October 19, 1997 |title=Finn Just Fine In Penn's Victory |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |url=http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-19/sports/25537949_1_quakers-penn-coach-al-bagnoli-ivy-league-record |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014402/http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-19/sports/25537949_1_quakers-penn-coach-al-bagnoli-ivy-league-record |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |access-date=February 10, 2012}}

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.{{Cite news |last=Silary |first=Ted |date=April 19, 1999 |title=Penn RB Finn Hoping To Become Relevant After Bears Take Him Last |work=Philadelphia Daily News |url=http://articles.philly.com/1999-04-19/sports/25520745_1_agent-jim-finn-penn |access-date=February 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000617185628/http://www.phillynews.com/daily_news/99/Apr/19/sports/FINN19.htm |archive-date=June 17, 2000}}

{{NFL predraft

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| note = All values from NFL Combine.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=60983&draftyear=1999&genpos=FB |title=1999 NFL Draft Scout Jim Finn College Football Profile |access-date=July 15, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807132728/http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=60983&draftyear=1999&genpos=FB |archive-date=August 7, 2012 }}

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Finn was selected as the final pick of the 1999 NFL draft (nicknamed Mr. Irrelevant) by the Chicago Bears.{{Cite web |title=1999 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1999/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was waived and spent time on their practice squad. Finn signed with the Indianapolis Colts in early 2000 where he ran for 44 yards in six rushing attempts and 10 receptions over three seasons. In 2003, Finn signed with the New York Giants.{{Cite news |last=Zinser |first=Lynn |date=September 6, 2003 |title=For Giants' Finn, There's No Place Like Home |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/06/sports/pro-football-for-giants-finn-there-s-no-place-like-home.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=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." In his Giants career, Finn had 21 rushing yards from five attempts. He saw more action as a receiver out of the backfield, with 325 receiving yards and 42 receptions.

In 2005, Finn played in all 16 regular season games with 13 starts including the NFC National Football League playoffs wild card game 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.{{Cite news |last=Branch |first=John |date=November 11, 2005 |title=Giants' Finn Is the Anonymous Blocking Back |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/sports/football/11giants.html |access-date=February 10, 2012}}

Finn missed the entire 2007 New York Giants season after being placed on injured reserve. That year, he became a Super Bowl champion when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. After the season, Finn was cut due to nagging injuries and the emergence of Madison Hedgecock.[http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=25622 Michael Eisen - Story - 6.13 Mini-Camp Report for Wednesday, June 13 - Giants.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070617100346/http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=25622 |date=June 17, 2007 }}{{cite web |url=http://thebergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNTEyNzAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 |title= North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!|website=thebergenrecord.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031116/http://thebergenrecord.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjAmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNTEyNzAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 |archive-date=September 28, 2007}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20080218043339/http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2008/02/farewell-to-finn.html "Farewell to Finn"], New York Daily News, February 14, 2008, at archive.org.

Finn and Brandon Stokley are the only players in NFL history to have caught an offensive pass from both Eli Manning and Peyton Manning.

He is the son of James and Jane Finn. Finn married actress Rosa Blasi on February 14, 2004, in Maui, Hawaii. They had one daughter Kaia{{cite web | last=Nudd | first=Tim | title='Strong Medicine' Actress Rosa Blasi Marries Man She Met Online | website=People.com | date=2014-05-08 | url=https://people.com/celebrity/strong-medicine-actress-rosa-blasi-marries-man-she-met-online/ | access-date=2025-05-06}} (September 20, 2006) and divorced in 2008.[http://www.ew.com/article/2004/03/05/monitor "Monitor"], Entertainment Weekly, March 5, 2004.[http://www.people.com/article/osa-blasi-marries-todd-william-harris-wedding-photo "Rosa Blasi Marries Todd William Harris"], People, May 8, 2014.

Finn is a resident in Los Angeles County, California. He has also lived in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=David |date=September 2005 |title=Being Jim Finn |url=http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0905/0905gaz15.html |access-date=February 10, 2012 |website=Penn Gazette}}

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.Lisa Rose, [http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2011/12/former_nfl_players_say_they_di.html "Former NFL players say they didn't know Toradol hid concussions"], The Star-Ledger, December 6, 2011.

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{{Commons category}}

• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018051153/http://www.giants.com/team/player.asp?player_id=130 |date=October 18, 2006 |title=New York Giants biography (1999-2005) }}
• [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FinnJi00.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]

{{MrIrrelevant}}

{{Bears1999DraftPicks}}

{{Super Bowl XLII}}

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Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football fullbacks

Category:Bergen Catholic High School alumni

Category:Chicago Bears players

Category:Indianapolis Colts players

Category:New York Giants players

Category:Penn Quakers football players

Category:Sportspeople from Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Category:Sportspeople from Hermosa Beach, California

Category:Players of American football from Teaneck, New Jersey

Category:Players of American football from Hackensack, New Jersey

Category:Players of American football from Los Angeles County, California

Category:Wharton School alumni