Jermichael Finley adds to 'a great corps' for Aaron Rodgers - USATODAY.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have the one-two punch of Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at wide receiver. But tight end Jermichael Finley, whose offseason regimen included boxing, brings his own kind of wallop to the Packers passing game.
Though he missed three games in the middle of last season with a knee sprain, Finley more than recovered. In his last seven starts, he had a team-high 38 catches for 416 yards and four touchdowns. He had six catches for 159 yards in a wild-card playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Going into his third NFL season, the 6-5, 247-pounder from the University of Texas figures to be another prime target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And he is thinking big.
PHOTOS: Packers training camp
CAMP REPORT: Super Bowl expectations welcome in Green Bay
"I've got team expectations, and that's that (Super Bowl) trophy, bringing that thing back to Green Bay," Finley said.
"As an individual, of course I want to be the best, Pro Bowl."
Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy, who calls the plays for an offense that ranked sixth overall last year in yardage, will put Finley's talents to use.
"He's definitely a gifted young player. You can't deny the talent level that he has and the ability he has, particularly in the red zone, coming off the last year," McCarthy said.
"He's really worked very hard throughout the offseason on his blocking and just being a complete tight end. He's having a very good camp, and with him being the starter now, he's going to have a lot more opportunities this year."
Finley, a former high school football and basketball star in Diboll, Texas, did about a month of offseason boxing training at a gym in Austin.
"It was really for hand speed and eye coordination and me just getting that power in my punch and that long wind because that boxing is a different game, man," he said.
He said he "folded" up after boxing three rounds of three minutes each. "I just went home and passed out," he said.
Finley occasionally does shadow boxing in Green Bay to keep his stamina up. He put a hold on punching a bag at the Packers training complex after McCarthy saw him doing it.
"(McCarthy) said, 'You better watch your wrists. That's your money right there,' " Finley said. "I've slowed down on hitting bags."
Finley, 23, left Texas with two years of college eligibility remaining (he was redshirted for one season by the Longhorns) to enter the 2008 NFL draft. He was picked in the third round by the Packers.
Down the stretch last season, it came together for him. He ended the year as the Packers' third-leading receiver with 55 catches for 676 yards and five TDs.
"He showed flashes of play-making ability we really liked and knew he had in him," Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo said. "That's really carried over positively in the offseason. He's working to be a complete player."
In the Green Bay offense, Finley goes in motion and executes blocking assignments in the running and passing game from a stand-up position.
"When we got him, he was a big, athletic guy, but he primarily played in a three-point stance (at Texas), so we needed to get him experience ... out in space, in the backfield," McAdoo said. "It just takes work. Things happen fast in certain areas. He's doing a nice job."
Finley said boxing has helped him in fending off cornerbacks trying to jam him at the line and also with his blocking.
"Going out there on the corners and swiping their hands down and getting the blocks right, getting your hands inside, that's a big part of this game," he said.
Like Driver and Jennings, Finley also figures to get his hands on the ball this season. "We've got such a great corps," Finley said. " ... I'm just looking forward to a great season."
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have the one-two punch of Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at wide receiver. But tight end Jermichael Finley, whose offseason regimen included boxing, brings his own kind of wallop to the Packers passing game.
Though he missed three games in the middle of last season with a knee sprain, Finley more than recovered. In his last seven starts, he had a team-high 38 catches for 416 yards and four touchdowns. He had six catches for 159 yards in a wild-card playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Going into his third NFL season, the 6-5, 247-pounder from the University of Texas figures to be another prime target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And he is thinking big.
PHOTOS: Packers training camp
CAMP REPORT: Super Bowl expectations welcome in Green Bay
"I've got team expectations, and that's that (Super Bowl) trophy, bringing that thing back to Green Bay," Finley said.
"As an individual, of course I want to be the best, Pro Bowl."
Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy, who calls the plays for an offense that ranked sixth overall last year in yardage, will put Finley's talents to use.
"He's definitely a gifted young player. You can't deny the talent level that he has and the ability he has, particularly in the red zone, coming off the last year," McCarthy said.
"He's really worked very hard throughout the offseason on his blocking and just being a complete tight end. He's having a very good camp, and with him being the starter now, he's going to have a lot more opportunities this year."
Finley, a former high school football and basketball star in Diboll, Texas, did about a month of offseason boxing training at a gym in Austin.
"It was really for hand speed and eye coordination and me just getting that power in my punch and that long wind because that boxing is a different game, man," he said.
He said he "folded" up after boxing three rounds of three minutes each. "I just went home and passed out," he said.
Finley occasionally does shadow boxing in Green Bay to keep his stamina up. He put a hold on punching a bag at the Packers training complex after McCarthy saw him doing it.
"(McCarthy) said, 'You better watch your wrists. That's your money right there,' " Finley said. "I've slowed down on hitting bags."
Finley, 23, left Texas with two years of college eligibility remaining (he was redshirted for one season by the Longhorns) to enter the 2008 NFL draft. He was picked in the third round by the Packers.
Down the stretch last season, it came together for him. He ended the year as the Packers' third-leading receiver with 55 catches for 676 yards and five TDs.
"He showed flashes of play-making ability we really liked and knew he had in him," Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo said. "That's really carried over positively in the offseason. He's working to be a complete player."
In the Green Bay offense, Finley goes in motion and executes blocking assignments in the running and passing game from a stand-up position.
"When we got him, he was a big, athletic guy, but he primarily played in a three-point stance (at Texas), so we needed to get him experience ... out in space, in the backfield," McAdoo said. "It just takes work. Things happen fast in certain areas. He's doing a nice job."
Finley said boxing has helped him in fending off cornerbacks trying to jam him at the line and also with his blocking.
"Going out there on the corners and swiping their hands down and getting the blocks right, getting your hands inside, that's a big part of this game," he said.
Like Driver and Jennings, Finley also figures to get his hands on the ball this season. "We've got such a great corps," Finley said. " ... I'm just looking forward to a great season."
