'The job isn't done': T.J. Finley confident, driven after winning Auburn QB battle
AUBURN – T.J. Finley won the fall camp quarterback battle and will start on Saturday against Mercer in the season opener.
For Finley, that’s one battle down with many more to go.
“The job isn’t done. I didn’t come here just to win a starting job. I came here to lead the team to a SEC Championship and a national championship,” Finley told reporters on Monday.
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The 6-foot-7, 241-pound quarterback was named Auburn’s starter on Sunday, beating out Robby Ashford and Zach Calzada for the job.
“I’m proud of him and all of those guys through the competition. I’m looking forward to seeing him prepare himself this week and get out there and play,” head coach Bryan Harsin said.
When Finley learned the news on Sunday, he was with his father, David. Finley said his father punched him in the chest in excitement, saying, “the job isn’t done.”
After completing only 54 percent of his passes one season ago and failing to lead Auburn to a win in the final three games of the season, Finley was distraught. He nearly gave up football, or at the very least, nearly gave up football at Auburn. When Ashford and Calzada transferred in, Finley’s confidence level was at an all-time low.
“I questioned myself — a lot of guys counted me out, saying I need to quit football and go play basketball,” Finley said.
Finley admitted he wasn’t prepared to win football games last fall when Bo Nix was injured.
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“I wasn’t mentally ready last year, or physically ready, to take that job after Bo got injured,” Finley said. “I had to be in that role because I was the backup, but mentally I wasn’t ready to lead this team and finish the season strong. Now, I strongly believe I’m there this year, for sure.”
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So, Finley went to work.
He focused on following through with his throwing motion, being more accurate, meeting more often with the coaching staff in order to better understand the offense and overall offensive philosophy. Sources indicate that Finley completed around 61 percent of his passes during the primary charted segments of fall camp practices, mainly 11-on-11 work.
All those factors were significant in Harsin’s decision to name Finley as the starter.
“I know the preparation I put into fall camp. I knew what it meant to me to lead fall camp, and I don’t think anybody else can match the energy I had,” Finley said. “…had the desire and fire to will myself to be the starting quarterback, and I was not going to be defeated by anyone this season.”
Does Finley believe he’s tough enough to do the job in the SEC?
“I believe I can take a hit and deliver a pass, I believe I can take criticism on social media and block it out,” he said. “I think a lot of guys think that leadership is only vocal. I’m vocal, but I like to lead by example. Those two things go hand in hand.”
Now, fall camp is in the past. The only thing moving forward is winning football games and championships.
“I haven’t won a championship at this level, so I can’t answer what it takes,” Finley said. “I can answer that the level of preparation it takes is unbelievable. The hours I’ve put in this spring and fall, the hours of hard work I put in this fall, I would have never imagined that I’d have to work this hard to win a starting quarterback job. That’s a start.
“Hopefully after the season and we win the national championship, I can answer that question.”
