Zero2Cool
15 years ago
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In 2008 when the Green Bay Packers drafted a barely 21-year-old, redshirt sophomore with 17 college starts, they knew he would have to grow up a lot.

On the field, Jermichael Finley did it faster last year than most imagined.

In just one off-season, Finley went from a cocky rookie who thought he could skate by on athleticism alone without glancing at the playbook, to nearly eclipsing the single-season franchise record for catches by a tight end.

He stands on the precipice of becoming the best tight end in the National Football League. His teammates know it. His coaches know it. He knows it.

To deliver on that promise entering his third season, Finley thinks he needs to make the same kind of improvement off the field.

"I want it all," Finley said as the Packers prepared to begin voluntary off-season workouts Monday. "I want to be the best tight end in the league, and I want to be a better father, husband and teammate.

"I want people to know they can look at Jermichael Finley and say, 'That's a Packer.' That's what I'm shooting for."

But Finley knows he has a little ways to go.

He has not been a big screwup. He hasn't been arrested or tested positive for banned substances. And the Packers aren't frustrated with him. They're still very happy with Finley overall and are eager to unleash him in the 2010 season. And they want him in their future plans.

Will he be? That's up to Finley, and how much he continues to mature.

If he's guilty of anything, it's doing the stupid and immature things many 23-year-old professional athletes - including other Packers - do.

"I'll admit that, sure," Finley said. "I'm about the truth."

The truth is, Finley was late for about a half-dozen meetings in '09, and he missed curfew the night before the playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

"I walked on the floor, and it was like the FBI looking for me," recalled Finley, who went out the next night and set a franchise playoff record with 159 receiving yards on six catches.

"Just being that young buck, thinking he's all that."

During training camp last summer he left the dorms without permission to sleep in his own bed about 3 miles away.

"(I) was doing my own thing, wanted to take a little break, and they caught on to that," Finley said. "And that was a big, big loss coming into the '09 season. I had that on my back, so I had to come out and play.

"Just being foolish. All the coaches knew. Everybody knew."

Finley also wasn't always straight with the Packers about the reasons for his slipups.

"I'm just one of those people who doesn't tell everybody what I'm doing, so I just tell them what they want to hear," he said. "I was that person."

This off-season, Finley fired respected agent Blake Baratz and rehired Major Adams, the first agent he had after leaving the University of Texas.

Adams is better known as the pseudo-uncle/agent of quarterback Vince Young. That was until last week, when Young fired Adams and hired Tom Condon.

According to one league executive, Adams "has the reputation for being clueless, and part con man. It's somebody you don't want around your players. He's the reason Finley went where he did in the draft."

Adams' mismanagement led to Finley showing up out of shape to the '08 scouting combine. After a poor 40-yard time, he plummeted down draft boards.

Despite that, Finley brought Adams aboard again this year. It was his third agent change in 24 months.

To clear his head as he and his 22-year-old wife, Courtney, went through a rough patch, Finley went off to Austin, Texas, in February.

Adams didn't have a plan for him, Finley said, so he worked out on his own. He also played hard at night in the college town with Adams and Young.

But Finley knew he wasn't in a good spot. It was the kind of thing coach Mike McCarthy talked about at the owners' meetings when Finley was mentioned.

"You always worry about young guys that have success that fast, that quick, particularly more when they aren't at work," McCarthy said. "But it's all part of growing up."

In early March, Finley woke up.

"I was like, 'What am I doing?' " Finley said. "Leaving Blake, going with Major, going to Austin was a disaster. Stupid.

"I'm glad that I stayed on that right path somehow - I don't know how, really - and got back to Green Bay and really got focused."

Finley then started to put it all back together, piece by piece.

Finley wanted to get out from underneath Adams and rehire Baratz. But Baratz wouldn't take Finley's calls for more than a week. And Baratz, who runs the Minneapolis-based Institute for Athletes, didn't initially jump at the chance to get back on the Finley roller coaster.

"This was not a simple yes or no answer for me," said Baratz, who represents current Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop. "Yes, I very much wanted to help Jermichael, but I would only do so under very serious stipulations. He had to commit to change in all facets of his life."

Baratz finally relented. Finley calls rehiring Baratz his "best move." He's one of the few people who hasn't been afraid to tell Finley what he needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear, a circumstance that had led to Baratz's firing.

"Since I was a kid, I was one of those people who was held up on a pedestal 24-7 where I couldn't do anything wrong, always got that good talk about how great I was," Finley said. "Got to the league and still wanted that, but that first year I realized it was no joke. I think that second year I geared up for sure.

"I thought the on-the-field things would get you a ticket out. Obviously, the off-the-field stuff gets you where you want to be. I realize that now."

The first order of business for the reconstituted Team Finley was for him to face the Packers and let them know he was going to do better.

In the past two months, Finley has sat in front of McCarthy, general manager Ted Thompson, vice president of football administration Russ Ball, director of player development Rob Davis and tight ends coach Ben McAdoo.

To each of them, Finley has come clean about his missteps and professed his change in attitude.

"I laid everything on the table," Finley said. "I did it so they can know I want to be a leader coming into 2010 and a Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion - I want all of that. I want to be the guy they know can make that happen."

Finley also made things right with Courtney, who like Baratz isn't afraid to give Finley tough love.

"She told me she didn't like where I was going and if I continued, I'd probably be going at it alone," Finley said. "I obviously didn't want that.

"At this point I'm trying to have all good people in my corner. That's what's going to get me to success."

While Finley certainly is getting things in order to become the player he envisions - he's not bashful about saying he wants to be the best tight end ever, and one of the greatest Packers - it's not hard to see there also are other reasons at play.

With a contract that expires after 2011, Finley knows the quickest way to a new contract is to get it from the Packers. He's also acutely aware the Packers make that kind of investment only in players who take their jobs seriously.

"I know the kinds of guys they want, the Greg Jennings, the Aaron Rodgers, the Nick Collins, the Ryan Picketts," Finley said. "Those are the kind of guys they depend on. I want to be one of them.

"Green Bay without a doubt is where I want to be, a great town to raise a family for sure, and the fans here are way better than I've ever had. I can see myself here for a long, long time."

Those are some of the words Finley spoke to the Packers' brass. Their response probably is similar to what Packers fans think.

"They said, 'This was great, you're showing us a lot and we're very happy about that. But now there's got to be action. That's what you will be judged off, not your words,' " Finley recalled.

"I've been doing that the last two months. I've been here at all the workouts. I don't go out with the guys. And I'm going to continue doing it."

Is Finley never going to be late to another meeting? Unlikely. Is he going to be an angel off the field? Not many are. Finley isn't even sure he'll participate this week because his knee sprain, which kept him out of three games last season and still isn't 100%. He may seek treatment elsewhere with the club's permission

But he's going to try.

For the good of the Packers and himself, the maturation of Finley continues. If he duplicates the on-field progress from '09, the team and their fans will be ecstatic.

"I want fans to feel they can trust me and believe in me," Finley said. "The young, immature Finley, I thought he was foolish. And the new Finley, I think is going to do the work, do what he's supposed to do and be that player the Packers know I can be and all the fans out there too.

"I've been ready. Now it's time for me to be successful and take it to the next level, and that's what I'm going to do."


UserPostedImage
Zero2Cool
15 years ago
Really good article. I'm pulling for him.
UserPostedImage
Zero2Cool
15 years ago

Jermichael Finley's epiphany could be great for Green Bay 

Packers tight end Jermichael Finley flashed plenty of potential in his second NFL season, culminating in a wild-card performance against the Cardinals featuring six receptions for 159 yards. He's now committed to fulfilling his potential on a full-time basis.

According to Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Finley had an epiphany in March -- and he now has big goals.

"I want it all," Finley tells Bedard. "I want to be the best tight end in the league, and I want to be a better father, husband and teammate. . . . I want people to know they can look at Jermichael Finley and say, 'That's a Packer.' That's what I'm shooting for."

He had different priorities in 2009. Per Bedard, Finley was late for roughly six meetings last season, and he missed curfew the night before the playoff game.

"I walked on the floor, and it was like the FBI looking for me," Finley said. "Just being that young buck, thinking he's all that."

During training camp last season, he left without permission so that he could sleep in his own bed, only three miles away.

But the bad decisions continued in the offseason, when Finley fired agent Blake Baratz and re-hired Major Adams, best known for representing Vince Young. Finley went to Austin, Texas for the offseason, and he claims that Adams didn't have a workout plan for Finley -- and Finley says he "played hard at night" with Adams and Young.

Finley has since re-fired Adams and re-hired Baratz, who was reluctant to take Finley back.

"I want fans to feel they can trust me and believe in me," Finley said. "The young, immature Finley, I thought he was foolish. And the new Finley, I think is going to do the work, do what he's supposed to do and be that player the Packers know I can be and all the fans out there too."

Given that the "foolish" version of Finley caught 55 passes for 676 yards and five touchdowns during the 2009 regular season, the sky could be the limit for this newly-minted non-knucklehead.


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Wade
  • Wade
  • Veteran Member
15 years ago
I believe in epiphanies.

However, I also know from experience, that epiphanies by themselves don't change the essence of the person who has them. It's a lot harder to break a bad habit and replace it with a good one. Temptations will return with regularity.

I believe JF's intentions are good. Admirable. Worth encouraging and believing in. But his real work is still ahead of him. An epiphany is like the poster Foster had me put on my bathroom wall. It's there to remind him. Its the kind of reminder that won't go away. But he's still got work to do. And he's the only one who can do it.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
bozz_2006
15 years ago
I hope so. I was so jacked when we drafted him, but if he wants long-term success he has to sack up and be a professional. Maybe he is on that track now.
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bozz_2006
15 years ago

I believe in epiphanies.

However, I also know from experience, that epiphanies by themselves don't change the essence of the person who has them. It's a lot harder to break a bad habit and replace it with a good one. Temptations will return with regularity.

"Wade" wrote:



Absolutely. It's like kicking a smoking habit. Quitting is the easy part. It's staying quit. That's the hard part.
UserPostedImage
15 years ago
true enough Wade, but many people don't even take that first step which is recognizing your faults and genuinely wanting to change them. i believe this kid could be one of the greatest TE's in history barring personal bullshit and injuries. for the sake of our team, i hope he gets his shit together so we can keep him on our side.

I agree with Twinkiegorilla.

bozz_2006 wrote:


Dulak
15 years ago
I got to say - I bet our other reciever threats help finley; meaning we have so many options its easier for finley to get open
15 years ago
it's also pretty goddamn hard for him to be covered. he's too tall and too athletic. he's like a goddamn super-weapon.

I agree with Twinkiegorilla.

bozz_2006 wrote:


warhawk
15 years ago

true enough Wade, but many people don't even take that first step which is recognizing your faults and genuinely wanting to change them. i believe this kid could be one of the greatest TE's in history barring personal bullshit and injuries. for the sake of our team, i hope he gets his shit together so we can keep him on our side.

"TwinkieGorilla" wrote:



Absolutely. The first part is recognizing and accepting what has to be done to really be great at anything. What you are essentially hearing him say is he is willing to let his ego go and prepared to make the right decisions.

If anyone watched Extreme Home Makeover last night about the football coach with Lou Gehrig's disease who had the best line I ever heard.

"You can't control what direction the wind comes from but you can set your sails to get you where you want to go." I am pretty sure every Hall Of Fame football player got that embedded in them some where along the way.
"The train is leaving the station."
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