Jim Finn

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. However, the Colts’ offense specialized more with two tight ends rather than a fullback. In the spring of 2003, Finn signed with the New York Giants. 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.

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.

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.

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.