Jeffrey "Jeff" Finley (born November 19, 1991) is a professional
Canadian football
Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...
defensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
for the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. He was drafted by the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
in the third round of the
2014 CFL Draft
The 2014 CFL Draft took place on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:00 PM ET on TSN. 65 players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. A total of 19 trades ...
. He played
CIS football
U Sports football is the highest level of amateur play of Canadian football and operates under the auspices of U Sports (formerly Canadian Interuniversity Sport). Twenty-seven teams from Canadian universities are divided into four athletic confer ...
at
Guelph University
, mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities"
, established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922)
, type = Public university
, chancellor ...
and attended
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in
St. Catharines
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontario ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
College career
Finley played for the
Guelph Gryphons from 2011 to 2013. He appeared in eight games in 2011, recording seven total tackles and one pass breakup. He started eight games for the team in 2012, accumulating 23 total tackles and 3.5. Finley played in the Gryphons' 42-39 overtime semi final victory over the
Queen’s Gaels and in the
Yates Cup Final loss to the
McMaster Marauders
The McMaster Marauders are the athletic teams that represent McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Athletics at McMaster is currently managed by the university's student affairs, under their athletics & recreation department. The unive ...
. He also played for Team West at the
East West Bowl. He played in six games, all starts, for the Gryphons in 2013, totaling 14.5 tackles, 12 of which were solo, 5.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Finley recorded 1.5 tackles in the Semi Final win over the
Windsor Lancers. He accumulated three solo tackles and one sack in the Quarter Final loss against the Queen’s Gaels.
He played in 23 games, including playoffs, during his college career, recording 54 tackles, 10.5 sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble. Finley studied Human Kinetics at Guelph.
Professional career
Montreal Alouettes
Finley was selected by the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
with the 22nd pick in the
2014 CFL Draft
The 2014 CFL Draft took place on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:00 PM ET on TSN. 65 players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. A total of 19 trades ...
. He played in nine games in 2014, totaling four defensive tackles and two special teams tackles. He recorded two sacks and one special team tackle in the team's two playoff games.
Finley played in three games for the Alouettes during the
2015 season.
Toronto Argonauts
On February 15, 2017, Finley signed with the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
as a free agent. In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, he registered career high totals in games played (11), defensive tackles (14), and sacks (4). He dressed in both playoff games that year, earning his first
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
championship following the team's victory in the
105th Grey Cup
The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario.
In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...
game. On February 11, 2019 the Toronto Argonauts extended Finley's contract. He was set to become a free agent.
References
External links
Toronto Argonauts bioJust Sports Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finley, Jeffrey
Living people
1991 births
Canadian football defensive linemen
Guelph Gryphons football players
Montreal Alouettes players
Players of Canadian football from Ontario
Sportspeople from St. Catharines
Toronto Argonauts players