driver finley

2008 DRAFT CHOICES
DONALD
JERMICHAEL
DRIVER
FINLEY
WIDE RECEIVER
TIGHT
END
LAMBEAU
FIELD
RECORDS &
HISTORY
2007 REVIEW
FINLEY
VETERANS
BARBRE
ADMIN. &
COACHES
COMMUNITY
OKLAHOMA
TEXAS
Born: May 27, 1981
NFL Gm. Played/Started:
Born: March 26,62/62
1987
Hometown:
Acquired:
Diboll, D1-03
Texas
Athletic tight end selected
by the Packers in the third
round (91st overall, seventh tight end)…Will look to compete for backup tight end
job behind veteran Donald Lee…Spent just three years
at Texas, including one season as a redshirt…Youngest
player on the Packers’ roster…Smooth
route runner can go up and make plays
on the ball in the air…Capable of adding
more bulk to his 6-foot-5 frame…Will
look to improve on his run blocking…With his youth, is
still developing into the player he is capable of becoming,
something tight ends coach Ben McAdoo noted on draft
day, pointing out speed and explosiveness as two other
areas that he will continue to improve in…Productive
player in his two years with the Longhorns, catching 76
passes for 947 yards and five touchdowns in 26 games…
His 76 grabs rank third in school history by a tight end
despite only playing two seasons for the Longhorns, and
his 947 yards rank sixth in school annals…Caught four or
more passes 10 times during his career…Earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches
as a sophomore and honorable mention Freshman AllAmerica honors from The Sporting News as a freshman…
Recorded four catches for a career-high 149 yards vs. No.
10 Oklahoma in 2007, including two 50-plus yard catches
in the game…The 149 yards was the single-game record
for receiving yards by a tight end in school history and he
became the first TE in University of Texas history to post
two receptions of more than 50 yards in a game…Posted
the best season statistically by a freshman tight end in
school history in ’06 when he caught 31 passes for 372
yards and three touchdowns…Became the first player
drafted by the Packers from the University of Texas since
wide receiver Johnny Walker was picked in the eighth
round in 1991…Highest selection used by the Packers
on a UT player since halfback Duke Carlisle in 1964 (60th
overall selection)…Majored in kinesiology.
►►Expected to compete for backup
tight end job behind veteran
Donald Lee.
►►Ranks third in University
of Texas history for career
receptions by a tight end with
76, despite only playing two
at a glance…
seasons.
at a glance…
►►Earned honorable mention AllBig 12 honors from the league’s coaches as a sophomore.
►►Is the youngest player on the Packers’ roster, having departed Texas after his redshirt sophomore season.
►►Became first Packers draftee from Texas since 1991.
cOLLEGE
career
2007 season
Ht: 6-5
6-2
Wt: 247
232
Drafted:
Fifth Third
NFL Season
Round
Fifth Packers
Overall:
Season
91st
(Seventh tight end selected)
Started all 13 games and earned
honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches…Named UT’s Outstanding
Tight End…Caught 45 passes (second on UT’s singleseason tight end list) for 575 yards (third on single-season
TE list) and two touchdowns…Posted a reception in
12 of 13 games and three or more grabs in nine of 13
contests…Averaged 12.8 yards per reception…Helped
Longhorns average 462.0 yards of total offense (13th in
the NCAA), 199.8 yards rushing (25th) and 36.0 points per
game (19th)…Caught four passes for 54 yards vs. TCU
(Sept. 8)…Posted seven receptions for 54 yards at Central
Florida (Sept. 15)…Led the team when he recorded four
grabs for 51 yards vs. Kansas State (Sept. 29)…Recorded
four catches for a career-high 149 yards and a touchdown,
including catches of 58 and 55 yards, vs. No. 10 Oklahoma
(Oct. 6) in 28-21 loss…Became the first tight end in
Texas history to post two receptions of 50-plus yards in
a game…The 149 yards was the single-game record for
receiving yards by a tight end…Caught five passes for
60 yards at Baylor (Oct. 20)…Led the Longhorns with
six receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown at Oklahoma
State (Nov. 3)…Pulled in four passes for 41 yards vs.
Texas Tech (Nov. 10).
2006
Played in all 13 games and started four
contests as a redshirt freshman when the
Longhorns opened up in a two-tight end set…Earned
honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from
The Sporting News...Named one of UT’s Outstanding
Offensive Newcomers…Set freshman tight end records
for receptions (31), receiving yards (372) and touchdowns
(three)…Posted five catches of at least 20 yards with a
long of 40 vs. Oklahoma State (Nov. 4)…Caught a pass in
10 of 11 games and in each of the final seven contests…
Recorded his first career reception and finished with two
grabs for 39 yards at Rice (Sept. 16)…Caught two passes
for 17 yards, including his first touchdown reception, vs.
Iowa State (Sept. 23)…Made two catches for 21 yards
and a TD vs. Baylor (Oct. 14)…Recorded three receptions
for 47 yards at Texas Tech (Oct. 28)…Posted a career-
MISC.
Most Packers selections, seven-round era (1994-2008)
Compensatory
No
Year
Seletions
13
2000
4
12
1999
4
2006
2
11
2005
0
2007
1
10
1995
0
Notable selections
TE Bubba Franks (1), T Chad Clifton (2), LB Na’il Diggs (4a),
DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (5a), T Mark Tauscher (7a)
CB Mike McKenzie (3a), DT Cletidus Hunt (3b), WR Donald Driver (7b)
LB A.J. Hawk (1), G Daryn Colledge (2a), WR Greg Jennings (2b),
G Jason Spitz (3b)
QB Aaron Rodgers (1), S Nick Collins (2a), LB Brady Poppinga (4b)
DT Justin Harrell (1), RB Brandon Jackson (2), K Mason Crosby (6c)
CB Craig Newsome (1), FB William Henderson (3b), LB Brian Williams (3c),
WR Antonio Freeman (3d), G Adam Timmerman (7)
Ted Thompson drafts in bold
260
2008 DRAFT CHOICES
high 67 receiving yards on two catches,
including a career-long 40-yarder, vs.
Oklahoma State (Nov. 4)…Caught a
career-high eight passes for 46 yards vs.
Iowa (Dec. 30) in Alamo Bowl win.
DONALD
2005 Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 232
Fifth NFL Season
Fifth Packers Season
DRIVER
WIDE RECEIVER
OKLAHOMA
VETERANS
University of Arizona…Worked at the Boys and Girls
Club and was part of ‘A Hero’s Tribute’, welcoming troops
back to Fort Hood (Texas)…Also made hospital visits in
Austin and participated in his church youth group…Enjoys
playing basketball, watching television and reading Harry
Potter books…Residence: Dallas, Texas.
No
31
45
76
RECEIVING
Yds Avg Lg TD
372 12.0 40 2
575 12.8 58 3
947 12.5 58 5
RECORDS &
HISTORY
Year
GP GS
2006 Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4
2007 Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 13
College totals (two years) . . . 26 17
2007 REVIEW
Jermichael Finley’s College Statistics
FINLEY
Given name Jermichael Decorean
Finley…Born in Lufkin, Texas…
Married, wife’s name is Courtney…The couple has a
daughter, Jayla, 3, and an infant son, Kayden…Offered
scholarships in both football and basketball to the
at a glance…
ADMIN. &
COACHES
personal
Born: May 27, 1981
NFL Gm. Played/Started: 62/62
Acquired: D1-03
COMMUNITY
Four-year starter at tight end
at Diboll (Texas) High School…Earned
first-team 3A all-state honors from the
Texas Sports Writers Association and
second-team all-state honors from
the Associated Press…Owns school
career records with 316 receptions, 30
touchdown catches and 2,217 receiving
yards…Also named first-team all-district
as a senior…Played defensive end, wide
receiver, safety, punter and kicker during
his high school career…Played primarily TE, WR and safety as a senior as he
caught 36 passes for a school-record
878 yards and 10 touchdowns that season…Also punted for a 37.9-yard average, kicked off and played an average
of 101 snaps per game…Helped lead
Diboll to bi-district finals in 2004…
Named first-team all-district as a junior
when he set school records with 13 TD
catches and a 98-yard touchdown reception…Named District Offensive Player of
the Year in football and District MVP in
basketball as a sophomore…Earned allstate honors in basketball as a senior as he averaged 24
points and 20 rebounds through 22 games…Led school
to 33-3 record in basketball as a junior.
LAMBEAU
FIELD
Notable Green Bay-area streets named after Packers
Lombardi Avenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vince Lombardi
Reggie White Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reggie White
Starr Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bart Starr
Tony Canadeo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Canadeo
NOTE — The Main Street Bridge, connecting Green Bay’s east
and west sides, was renamed the Ray Nitschke Memorial
Bridge; Canadeo Street, named after Tony Canadeo, no longer exists after construction of new housing in the late 1980s.
261
25
MISC.
Brett Favre Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Favre
Hinkle Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clarke Hinkle
Holmgren Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Holmgren
Hubbard Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cal Hubbard
Hutson Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Hutson
Isbell Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cecil Isbell
Lambeau Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Curly Lambeau
Lewellen Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Verne Lewellen