Whoever said, dreams cannot come true was a liar and a failure. As a matter of fact dreams do come true-that is, if you are Brandon Finnie.
The 6-foot senior strong safety from Miami, has been striving for success since he arrived to FAMU.
Finnie was a linebacker and member of the infamous 71st street defense from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. He was also a member of the 1998 undefeated state championship team as a sophomore, along with his cousin and former Rattler safety, Levy Brown.
Upon leaving high school, Finnie was offered no football scholarship directly. He took the route of several players who were not offered scholarships, which was to try out for the team. Finnie said it was an unusual feeling since he was already accustomed to being on a team. However, he made the Rattler football team on his first attempt.
“I made the team because of my aggression, my desire, my fate, my will and my speed,” Finnie said.
Finnie can be called “motivation,” due to his ability to get the team to respond in a positive uproar.
“He’s the type of player that gets us crunk,” Aubrey Parrish, a junior wide receiver from West Palm Beach, said. “He’s our hype man.”
Finnie is known to be very intense on the field. And that level of intensity has led him to earning playing time.
“He’s worked hard to get on the field. Everyone wants that starting job and that’s what he’s fighting for,” FAMU defensive back’s coach Larry Williams said.
Although he played at the linebacker position in past seasons, he will line up at the strong safety position.
“He asked for a shot at safety,” Williams said. “So, in the spring, with a new scheme and everything, it was the right fit for him at strong safety.”
To Finnie, there isn’t much of a difference between the two positions.
“It’s (strong safety) the same thing as playing linebacker,” Finnie said. “You pull-up and you still have to know your drop.”
When the NCAA placed sanctions on the University for allowing players to play football illegally, Finnie’s name wasn’t one of the names mentioned.
“I knew when I saw those grades, I had no worries of going to summer school. I went to summer school for credits toward graduation,” Finnie said.
This young man from Dade County exemplifies how a determined young man should stop at nothing until the desired goal is achieved.
“I intend to try out for the leagues, but if that doesn’t work then I have intentions on opening a business as a bail bondsman,” Finnie said.
Since the Dec. 29th loss of his mother, the criminal justice major has had an added motivation to be successful.
“Since my mom passed, I feel like, I’ve got to go get it and handle my business,” Finnie said. “I know she’s up there high looking down, she’ll help me.”
Contact Serge Beaubrun at thefamuansports@hotmail.com