Upon their creations, many college football fans worried about the implications of the transfer portal and NIL business dealings. Now headed to his fifth school in six years, TJ Finley is the physical embodiment of those fears.
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Of course, playing football for five different programs makes Finley an extreme outlier. Nevertheless, his newfound commitment to the Tulane Green Waves stands as a testament to what can happen when a player is constantly searching for the perfect situation. Cam Newton, especially, is not a fan of the youngster’s approach.
On the latest episode of the 4th & 1 with Cam Newton podcast, the Carolina Panthers legend drew a hard line against Finley’s lack of loyalty. Clearly bothered by the younger generation’s willingness to leave at the first sign of resistance, Newton asserted that,
“That’s not how life is. You can’t just quit jobs and quit jobs and quit jobs… As an athlete, you don’t just get to quit when things get tough or when an inconvenience comes your way. You’ve got to stick it out and work through it. The mental toughness of this generation is now in question more so than ever,” he said.
Finley’s previous schools include Auburn, Texas State, LSU, and Western Kentucky. Clearly, he’s not shy about making demands. However, those very same demands are the ones that Newton has a problem with.
In speaking to Finley directly, the 2015 regular season MVP explained that this current strategy will fail him as he continues to go through life.
“This ain’t real life. You can’t do this in the NFL. You can’t do this in corporate America.”
While Newton did clarify that he understands players wanting to move onto a better program that can help to advance their careers, he also suggested that the sheer volume of transfers from Finley simply doesn’t add up. Believing that life requires a bit of grit and tenacity, Newton called for the 23-year-old signal caller to change his ways and begin to put down some roots of his own for once.
“I’m not saying that the circumstance didn’t warrant him leaving these different places for a better opportunity… Sooner or later, you’re going to have to plant your feet, point your toes east and west, and stand on business.”
Unfortunately, Finley isn’t the originator of this trend. Fellow quarterbacks, JT Daniels and Casey Thompson, both played for four different universities throughout their collegiate careers, proving that this is an emerging trend with no signs of slowing down.
Newton also showed some self-awareness while addressing this issue. Having played two separate programs throughout his time in college, the former Panther claimed that his main priority was always centered around leaving an impact.
“Cam, you only went to Auburn for one year. Yea, but the impact though, there’s no denying. That’s goals. To transfer and do what happened.”
According to Newton, if you’re willing to leave your destination as soon as things aren’t perfect, then you shouldn’t bother going there in the first place. Considering that Finley boasts an overall record of 18-16, building a winning culture certainly doesn’t seem to be a priority of his.
However, Finley may not even see the field in New Orleans. The journeyman collegiate QB was recently arrested after being found in possession of a Dodge Charger that was reported as stolen in the city of Atlanta.
Finley was subsequently suspended by the university following his release, and the program has said that the length of his suspension will depend on the outcome of the case. Unfortunately, for both Finley and Tulane University, the signal caller’s next scheduled appearance will take place in a courtroom rather than a football field.
In what is surely a troubling time in his life, perhaps it’s in the best interest of everyone involved that Finley heeds Newton’s advice.
