TJ Finley Arrested

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn QB T.J. Finley's lawyer: Thursday arrest stems from 'misunderstanding'

5 hours ago

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Auburn junior quarterback T.J. Finley was arrested Thursday on an attempt to elude and is in custody at the Lee County Detention Center. The football program is "aware of the situation," a team spokesperson told Auburn Undercover on Thursday.

Update: Auburn Undercover has been informed that Finley has cleared bond and has been released. He’s already back on campus.

Finley, who started three games last season after Bo Nix's season-ending injury, was the Tigers' first-team QB throughout spring practices and is set to compete for the starting job in preseason camp.

Auburn players reported to campus Thursday for meetings. Bryan Harsin is set to meet with reporters at 3 p.m. CST Practice gets under way Friday.

"He was here; he'll be here tonight," Harsin said when asked about Finley's situation Thursday. "He'll practice tomorrow. We're aware of what's going on."

104COMMENTS

[Tiger Refuge 6,662]

 

Avoided the pressure and extended the play. Sounds like a QB to me.

Most importantly, he read the coverage accurately.

[AUx 3,001]

[NoALtiger 3,849]

Must be a helluva scooter to be able to haul his large a$$ frame around and elude the cops to boot. I’ll take one. Preferably with a turbo and a Duke Boys General Lee horn please. 

[alexava 6,973]

Lesson learned! Smack on the wrist. Nothing much else to see. As it should be for anyone. Move on and play ball now. 

[IronMan70 3,277]

 

Avoided the pressure and extended the play. Sounds like a QB to me.

We'll need to get TJ  a moped for the game, lol. F those mean SEC D linemen.

[IronMan70 3,277]

@Randman5000

It's a sore spot for me. I preach all the time to young people to think long term before acting out in the present. Too many of them only consider their immediate gratification and will throw away their future over nothing. Headslap that, lol.  

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

Ok now that details are coming out, his escape vehicle that evaded a no-helmet ticket was a MOPED? 

Edited August 5, 2022 by aucanucktiger

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Doesn't say much for the Auburn police if a tall guy on a moped can elude them😀

[AU-24 3,063]

 

Every cop has a task to look after.  Some are on the traffic beat, others on vice, and so on.  Don't hate on the cop for doing his job.

It was a minor traffic violation at worst and Finley was dumb to take off from the cops.  Even dumber not to report to the police station shortly after and accept the fine.  Not like he doesn't have any money - he just signed an NIL deal with Amazon that, while not huge money, would certainly be enough to pay a minor traffic ticket.

Proud of you! 

[SaltyTiger 7,782]

 

This says more about his decision making process than anything. He just signed an NIL deal with Amazon and he is incapable of thinking past the next minute and making a decision to run from the cops on a minor charge ?  He seems oblivious to the consequences of his immediate actions.

Sounds more like a 20 YO student to me. Hilarious story. Coach Jordan used to say when you had one that didn’t get into a little trouble “ you’d better run his a$$ off”.

[GunsmithAU 383]

 

Of course this happens on day 1 of fall camp. Had Jovon Robinson flashbacks today. This can/will be fixed real easily, but damn, it could've been handled a lot quicker/quieter had it been played better. Oh well. Doubt he gets booted off the team, but at minimum, best case for him, it's not helping his case in the QB race. It can only hurt his chances, unfortunately for him.

IDT this does anything for the QB race. Not unless they are literally even, no difference at all. If he is the best chance to win, Harsin isn't going to not play him in a year when his neck is on the line. 

[slyinsocal 831]

Sooner or later, moped or motorcycle, football player or not, riding with no helmet in the streets multiple times will draw attention.....

[aubiefifty 16,753]

Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley arrested on charge of attempting to elude police

Updated: Aug. 04, 2022, 5:11 p.m.|Published: Aug. 04, 2022, 1:13 p.m.

3-4 minutes

T.J. Finley (1) Auburn FB scrimmage on Saturday, April 2, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

On the day Auburn players are set to report for the start of fall camp, quarterback T.J. Finley was booked at the Lee County detention center on a charge of attempt to elude police, a misdemeanor.

Finley turned himself in to Auburn police late Thursday morning, according to a source, after being informed that a warrant was issued for his arrest. According to the source, the charge stems from an earlier traffic violation in which Finley was cited for failure to wear a helmet while riding a moped.

Read more Auburn football: What are the five biggest questions Auburn faces in 2022?

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Finley was back at Auburn’s athletics complex early Thursday afternoon after being released on a recognizance bond.

“The charges pending against my client, T.J. Finley, are the result of traffic violations and a misunderstanding,” Finley’s attorney, Davis Whittelsey, said in a statement provided to AL.com. “The charges are in the process of being handled in municipal court within the City of Auburn as all traffic citations are. As soon as T.J. learned of the charges, he turned himself in and has been released on a bond he signed for himself. His first day of football camp with Auburn University has been a success.”

Auburn police released their own statement Thursday afternoon following Finley’s arrest. According to the statement, Auburn police were “attempting to perform traffic stops of a male operating a motorcycle, on two separate occasions” on July 26 near the area of Heisman Drive and South Donahue Drive on Auburn’s campus. The statement goes on to claim that Finley, who was not wearing a helmet, “fled from police and committed several other traffic offenses in the process” before officers ended their pursuit in both instances “as a matter of safety.”

Once police identified Finley as the person operating the vehicle, a warrant for his arrest was obtained.

Auburn was aware of the incident involving Finley prior to his booking. A team spokesman did not immediately have a statement available, but when speaking to the media Thursday afternoon to preview the start of fall camp, Harsin said Finley will practice with the team Friday when the Tigers take the field for the first time.

Finley is set to enter fall camp as one of four quarterbacks competing for Auburn’s starting job this season, along with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford and true freshman Holden Geriner. Finley, who transferred to Auburn last summer, is the lone returning player in the quarterback room and started the final three games of the 2021 season for the Tigers following Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury. In nine games as a sophomore, Finley completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards, six touchdowns and an interception.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 16,753]

well there goes his NIL beer money for traffic fines...............

[cptau 169]

This is an Auburn city court matter so far.  We may never know why he eluded. Perhaps he had something he did want the police to find, he was not in the proper state to operate a vehicle and didn’t want to get caught, or he just made a dumb college kid mistake.  if he’s got a good attorney, he’ll stick with that last excuse  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aubiefifty 16,753]

Bryan Harsin: T.J. Finley will practice on 1st day fall camp after misdemeanor charge

Updated: Aug. 04, 2022, 6:33 p.m.|Published: Aug. 04, 2022, 4:24 p.m.

4 minutes

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Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley (1) scrambles for yardage during the A-Day NCAA college spring football game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley is expected to practice with the team when it takes the field for the first day of fall camp Friday following his misdemeanor charge Thursday.

Auburn coach Bryan Harsin addressed the situation with Finley, who turned himself in to Auburn police Thursday morning after being charged with “attempt to elude” stemming from a traffic violation for failure to wear his helmet while driving his scooter. Harsin was brief in his remarks regarding Finley but said he was aware of the situation with the junior quarterback.

Read more Auburn football: Everything Bryan Harsin said about the start of fall camp

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“He’s here,” Harsin said. “He’ll be here tonight, he’ll practice tomorrow. We’re aware of what’s going on.”

According to Finley’s attorney, Davis Whittelsey, the pending charges against the quarterback are a result of “a misunderstanding” and are being handled in Auburn municipal court, like all traffic citations are. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Auburn Police claimed that Finley eluded police on two separate occasions while driving on campus on July 26, with police terminating their pursuit in both instances “as a matter of safety” after Finley “committed several other traffic offenses” in the process.

After turning himself into police Thursday morning, and being “arrested in obedience” at Lee County Jail, Finley was issued traffic citations, booked and subsequently released after being made eligible for a $3,000 recognizance bond that he signed himself.

Finley was back on campus and at Auburn’s athletics complex early Friday afternoon before Harsin spoke with the media to preview the start of fall camp. Auburn players reported for the start of camp Thursday and will have team meetings in the evening. The Tigers will take the field for the first time Friday, with a split-squad practice that will see veterans practice in the morning and rookies and other selected returning players participating in an evening session.

Finley is one of four quarterback competing for Auburn’s starting job this fall. The lone returning player at the position for Auburn, Finley is competing with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford and four-star freshman early enrollee Holden Geriner for the mantle.

“Split practices really help the quarterbacks, so they get a ton of throws in there, even if they’re just thrown to a spot,” Harsin said. “But those guys will bounce around. Coach (Eric) Kiesau’s got all that ironed out.”

After transferring from LSU a year ago, Finley served as the backup to Bo Nix last season and started the final three games of the year following Nix’s season-ending ankle injury. In nine games, he completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. He also came off the bench in the second half of an early-season game against Georgia State and led Auburn to a last-minute comeback victory at home.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Folks, we have a politics forum if you want to delve more deeply into debates on police tactics, racial profiling, the proper role of law enforcement and other such things.  Leave that stuff out of here.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

May be best to move the whole thread to politics.  

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

One thing is for sure, he will get a worse punishment by way of jokes from the team/coaches this season than he will from his misdemeanor.

I can't imagine he lives this one down. It's too funny of a story.

He gets sacked: "Wouldn't have happened if he had his scooter."

Has his helmet off at practice: "Better put that helmet on or I'll call APD."

[AuburnNTexas 7,139]

 

Ahh of course, we can only talk about TJ being dumb, not the more important and instigating dumb from the cop. 

Sorry - the cop was doing his job he is supposed to stop people for not wearing helmets. If you want to rail against the law for requiring helmets I could understand that. I am sure that the cop has handed out tickets to other students for not wearing helmets. All Finley had to do was stop get ticket and issue was over.  Finley has shown to be a fine young man but the key is young and when we are young we some times do stupid things. I know I did a long time ago.

[GunsmithAU 383]

 

Sorry - the cop was doing his job he is supposed to stop people for not wearing helmets. If you want to rail against the law for requiring helmets I could understand that. I am sure that the cop has handed out tickets to other students for not wearing helmets. All Finley had to do was stop get ticket and issue was over.  Finley has shown to be a fine young man but the key is young and when we are young we some times do stupid things. I know I did a long time ago.

JuSt DoInG hIs JoB

[GTNupe11 2,033]

 

Sorry - the cop was doing his job he is supposed to stop people for not wearing helmets. If you want to rail against the law for requiring helmets I could understand that. I am sure that the cop has handed out tickets to other students for not wearing helmets. All Finley had to do was stop get ticket and issue was over.  Finley has shown to be a fine young man but the key is young and when we are young we some times do stupid things. I know I did a long time ago.

Small minor traffic "violations" are often pretextual stops. I'll leave it at that. 

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Ok, this has run its course and some of you can't resist floating random speculations about Finley or making assumptions about the police.  Locking.  Don't start a new thread on it.