January 23, 2003

RAGS-TO-RICHES, THE SEQUEL: EX-NIU QB CHRIS FINLEN SIGNS NFL FREE AGENT PACT WITH NEW ORLEANS

DeKALB, IL --- What are the odds that former Northern Illinois University quarterback Chris Finlen and National Football Conference rushing champion Deuce McAllister of the New Orleans Saints might be playing in the same backfield?

Slim and none, you say? Well, guess again. The National Football League club will announce that the record-setting Huskie QB has signed a standard free agent contact with the Saints, according to the team’s player personnel office.

Finlen (Roscoe / Rockton Hononegah)---who played at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds as a senior for Northern Illinois head coach Joe Novak in 2001---put his signature on a two-year, nonguaranteed NFL contract with New Orleans on Wednesday (January 22) and then had to pass through the league waiver list so the Saints could gain his rights.

“It is unusual, very much so,” Novak said. “When you consider that he did not receive any NFL or pro offers after his final season here and did not play football for a year. Obviously, we’re all extremely happy for Chris. He’s always wanted such an opportunity. He had a tremendous career here and, for whatever reason, got overlooked at the next level.

“I’m not sure how this all worked out, but we hope he gets a good look with New Orleans and makes the team,” Novak added. “Chris had a terrific senior year for us. He was a great leader and survived that losing streak. There is no doubt there was a correlation between his improvement and our improvement. This is the dream that Chris always wanted.”

Finlen will begin offseason workouts, attend Saints’ mini-camp this May at their training facility in Metairie, and then advance to training camp this July in Thibodaux. In the interim, he could train with the New Orleans’ quarterback coach or gain some pro-level seasoning by playing this spring in NFL-Europe with either the Barcelona or Rhein franchises.

So how did this dream situation transpire? After all, Finlen spent the 2002 football season as a player personnel intern with the Chicago Bears, throwing to his roommate in his spare time, and dreaming about his last chance at the NFL.

“I’ve never given up,” Finlen told the Rockford Register Star. “This was my last go-round. If it didn’t work now, it wasn’t meant to be. Obviously, it is.”

Basically, Finlen switched agents and went with Cliff Brady, who also represents former Northern Illinois standouts Ryan Diem of the Indianapolis Colts and Justin McCareins of the Tennessee Titans. Ironically, Finlen met Brady at McCareins’ engagement party and told the agent that he “...wasn’t getting a proper shot.”

One thing led to another and Brady eventually flew Finlen to his home in Naples, FL, for a week of workouts and then contacted Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for a favor. After watching some NIU tape, New Orleans invited Finlen to its practice facility for a 45-minute workout. They liked what they saw and made an offer.

“Chris has a real chance to make their club as the third quarterback,” Brady said in the Register Star in reference to incumbent Saints’ QBs Aaron Brooks, Jake Delhomme, and J. T. O’Sullivan. “The only decision they have to make is whether to put him in NFL-Europe or keep him with the quarterback coach in New Orleans.”

For Finlen, it’s the second consecutive personal gridiron rags-to-riches story. Coming out of high school, he did not receive a single Division 1-A scholarship offer and wound up as the top quarterback in Northern Illinois’ major-college tenure since 1969 as a walk-on. Finlen completed 502-of-910 passes for 6,551 career yards and 41 touchdowns during 1997-2001.

Not only was he the first three-year captain in the 101 years of Huskie football, Finlen also became the first Northern Illinois QB to throw for 1,000 yards in four seasons (1,107 in 1997, 1,551 in 1999, 1,857 in 2000, and 2,036 in 2001). As a senior, he produced the most single-season passing yardage in the school’s Division 1-A history and the best since Little All-America QB Ron Christian (2,101 yards) in 1965.

As a junior, he quarterbacked the nation’s No. 12 major-college rushing offense (228.1 yards-per-game average), No. 12 scoring offense (37.2 ppg.), and No. 19 total offense (427.8 ypg.).
Finlen won 17 of his last 31 Northern Illinois starts and led Novak’s Huskies to a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title in 2001. He finished No. 1 on the school’s all-time career pass attempt list (910) and No. 1 in career total offense yards (6,788), plus No. 2 in career completions (502), No. 2 in career passing yards (6,551), No. 2 in career pass completion percentage (.522), and No. 2 in career TD passes (42) behind College Football Hall of Fame QB George Bork (1960-63). As a senior, Finlen was nominated for the MAC’s Vern Smith Award as loop MVP.

(For further information, please contact Mike Korcek) -30-