By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jordan Finnesy was a three-sport athlete at Plainville before immediately earning playing time for Washburn University's football team as a freshman in 2021 and quickly developing into a defensive leader for the Ichabods at safety over his first two seasons.
Junior Jordan Finnesy will be counted on as a leader for the Washburn defense this fall after returning from an injury in 2023. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
So being forced to watch from the sidelines after suffering a season-ending knee injury on the third play of the second game of the year was one of the most frustrating experiences Finnesy has ever had to deal with.
Now back at 100 percent, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior is focusing all of his attention on making up for lost time this fall, beginning with the Ichabods' Aug. 29 season-opener at Emporia State.
"I just feel like a big bundled up ball of emotion and when that first game comes I'm going to let it all out and I'm going to be ready to go,'' said Finnesy, who has played in 25 games with 13 starts for the Ichabods.
Finnesy's injury was one of many the Ichabods suffered in '23 en route to a 2-9 record and he said that, along with being picked ninth out of 10 teams in the MIAA preseason polls, should serve as motivation for the entire Washburn team.
Junior safety Jordan Finnesy has recorded 106 career tackles for Washburn entering his junior season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"All the guys, we're just hungry to get going and really just prove ourselves,'' said Finnesy, who has registered 106 career tackles with 72 solo stops. "Going out the way that we did (last season) you never really get over it. That's always on your mind and I'm just really excited for that first game for all the guys. It's going to be a different Washburn team than a lot of people have seen and we're going to go out and attack anybody they put in front of us.
"A lot of things go into a season and a record like that, but at the end of the day all you see is the record so nothing else matters. We lost nine games and that's how it is, so it's really just coming back and regrouping as a team and figuring out areas that we need to be better in and areas that we were good in that we can take to the next level.''
Finnesy, also a two-time state wrestling champion at Plainville, said that if there was a silver lining to last season it's the fact that a lot of young players were able to gain valuable experience which should help WU's depth for this fall and beyond.
"Injuries are part of the game and you have to build that depth within your team to be able to withstand those (injuries) when they come because they're going to come every single season,'' Finnesy said. "You don't know who it's going to be, but when that time comes you have to be prepared for it and I think that's one thing that last year will really help with this year is getting some of those young guys in and getting those game reps in for them.
"We've built some depth within all our position groups now so that hopefully that (rash of injuries) doesn't happen, but if it were to happen, hopefully we can withstand those injuries and be the same Washburn that we always are.''
Washburn will report for preseason camp over the weekend and hold its first practice on Monday.
After opening the season against the rival Hornets, followed by a bye week, the Ichabods will play their home opener on Sept. 14 against Colorado School of Mines, last season's national runnerup.
