[1] In addition to football, he also played on the basketball team, where he was a district most valuable player,[1] and ran track, where he was a member of the Diboll 4 × 200 metres relay (1:34.59), and a triple jumper (39 ft 10 in).

[4] He caught passes in 10 games and broke the school freshman tight end record for receptions at 31 and had 371 yards and three touchdowns.

Longhorn head coach Mack Brown said "Finley finished his career ranked among the most productive receiving tight ends in school history and handled himself well both on and off the field during his time at Texas.

[11][12] Finley eventually won the battle with incumbent veteran, Donald Lee, for the starting tight end position.

[13] On January 10, 2010, Finley posted a franchise record in the Packers' playoff bout with the Arizona Cardinals, catching six passes for 159 yards (broken by Davante Adams in 2019).

Despite key drops late in the season, Finley still finished 3rd amongst tight ends in receiving touchdowns and 12th in terms of yards.

Finley began regaining the ability to move his extremities the following day and was later diagnosed with a spinal cord contusion after the Green Bay Packers had examinations from specialists.

Finley initially received interest from the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, but no contract resulted.

Despite working out five hours a day in Minneapolis and Wisconsin in hopes of an NFL comeback, Finley conceded that offers from the Steelers were not enough.

"If I quit the game right now, I can take tax-free money, and that's a difficult thing that I'm going through with myself..."[19] On October 19, 2015, Finley announced his retirement from playing football, thanking the Packers' organization.

[24] In a 2017 article for the Players' Tribune, Finley detailed the effects of sustaining multiple head and neck injuries in his football career and the recovery process from them.