He was praised for his ability to block, run routes, and catch passes, something that Oklahoma's other tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Brody Eldridge were unable to do.

[1] As a redshirt senior, Finley was named team captain and improved on his numbers, catching 23 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

He never made the active roster during his time in San Francisco, spending 2008 and 2009 on the practice squad before being cut before the start of the 2010 regular season.

[2] He was later a graduate assistant at his alma mater Oklahoma from 2012 to 2013, taking a break to sign with the Carolina Panthers and returning after he was cut.

[11] At Missouri, he coached a group that led the nation in touchdowns scored by tight ends with 15 in 2017, while developing Albert Okwuegbunam, who was an All-SEC second-teamer and finalist for the John Mackey Award in 2018.

[12] In 2020, Finley was hired as the passing game coordinator and tight ends coach at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin.