Brian Finneran
Encyclopedia
Brian Finneran is an American football
wide receiver
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks
as an undrafted free agent in 1998. He played college football
at Villanova.
Finneran has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
and Barcelona Dragons
.
in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
and finished his three-year career there with a school career-record 177 receptions.
for Villanova University and were lettermen. As a senior, Finneran had 96 receptions for 1,389 yards, earning All-America
n honors from the Associated Press
and being awarded the Walter Payton Award
, which is given to the nation's top Division I-AA offensive player. He had 265 receptions for 3,872 yards and 34 touchdowns over his entire college career. He had his number 25 jersey retired by Villanova in the fall of 2003. Rob Ronoldo and Bill Carinci were in attendance.
where he was named All-NFL Europe. After coming to America and joining the Falcons, he proved to be a consistent possession receiver. Finneran tore ligaments in his left knee during Falcons practice on July 30, 2006 and missed the entire 2006 season
. He missed his second straight season after tearing the reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament
in his left knee. Before injuries forced him to miss the previous two seasons, he was the preferred target of quarterback
Michael Vick
despite generally starting in the slot receiver
position. He returned to the field in 2008 but has not started and has seen limited action. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on February 11, 2010. Known as Mr. First Down to his fans in Atlanta for all the 3rd down catches he has made for first downs.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
as an undrafted free agent in 1998. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Villanova.
Finneran has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
.
Early years
Finneran attended Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolSanta Margarita Catholic High School
Santa Margarita Catholic High School is a coeducational college preparatory Roman Catholic high school located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States. SMCHS was opened in the fall of 1987 under the direction of the Bishop of Orange...
in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
and finished his three-year career there with a school career-record 177 receptions.
College career
Finneran and his identical twin brother, Brad, played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Villanova University and were lettermen. As a senior, Finneran had 96 receptions for 1,389 yards, earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and being awarded the Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
, which is given to the nation's top Division I-AA offensive player. He had 265 receptions for 3,872 yards and 34 touchdowns over his entire college career. He had his number 25 jersey retired by Villanova in the fall of 2003. Rob Ronoldo and Bill Carinci were in attendance.
Professional career
Prior to joining the Falcons, Finneran played for the NFL Europa Barcelona DragonsBarcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
where he was named All-NFL Europe. After coming to America and joining the Falcons, he proved to be a consistent possession receiver. Finneran tore ligaments in his left knee during Falcons practice on July 30, 2006 and missed the entire 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
. He missed his second straight season after tearing the reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his left knee. Before injuries forced him to miss the previous two seasons, he was the preferred target of quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
despite generally starting in the slot receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
position. He returned to the field in 2008 but has not started and has seen limited action. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on February 11, 2010. Known as Mr. First Down to his fans in Atlanta for all the 3rd down catches he has made for first downs.