Ben Finley, the former NC State QB, decided to take his talents to the Akron Zips for the 2024 season. A graduate of Paradise Valley High School, the Arizona native will look to make the most of this transfer.

Not many people would know that Ben comes from a family with a rich athletic legacy. Here is everything you need to know about Ben’s family, their sporting successes and the story of his brother who made it past the hard yards of college football.

Meet Pat Finley: Ben’s father

Ben Finley’s parents are Pat and Robin Finley. The parents met each other while they were studying at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Ben’s father, Pat, is a native of Minnesota, where he grew up loving all kinds of sports. 

Pat Finley was particularly fascinated with baseball and football, which he pursued while studying at St. Olaf. The young graduates had their first child when they were pursuing their postgraduate degrees in Chicago. The roots of the athletic prowess of Ben and his siblings can be traced back to their parents, who not only loved sports but made it a part of their everyday lives until they got busy with their respective careers. 

It’s not a coincidence that two of the children in the family became known for playing football. Ben and his brother, Ryan Finley, took inspiration from their father; the latter made it a point to instil football knowledge in his children from a very early age. 

Robin Finley: Ben’s mother and her athletic achievements

It won’t be wrong to say that Ben Finley’s parents were attracted to each other because they were stars in their respective sports at St. Olaf. We have already covered Pat Finley’s love for sports. Similarly, Robin Finley, Ben’s mother, played tennis during college, and as per reports, she was a star.

Robin Finley was raised in Iowa. After marrying a Minnesota native in Pat Finley, Robin pursued a doctorate in immunology. During all this time, they were living in Chicago. As they finished with their degrees, the couple looked for someplace warm. After Robin secured a job in Scottsdale, the whole family shifted base to the lovely state of Arizona.  

Robin recalls how her two sons and daughter (Sydney) were peculiar in how they approached homework in school. They were not phased by pressure, which explains why the sons went on to play the quarterback position in football. 

The Finley family’s athletic legacy

It’s remarkable that one family can have such a rich sporting legacy. Maybe, it is all in the blood. It’s no surprise that the union of a football star and a tennis star gave birth to two quarterbacks. Two of the three Finley children chose football as their career. On the other hand, Sydney decided to pursue law. 

Having parents with athletic backgrounds can guide children from a very early age. Both Robin and Pat Finley made it a point to help their children combine components of football and life. This lesson proved useful for both Ryan Finley and Ben Finley.  

Ryan Finley: Ben’s older brother and his NFL career

Ryan Finley, Ben Finley’s brother, has played in the NFL as a quarterback. Cincinnati Bengals chose Ryan in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Just like Ben, Ryan also attended Paradise Valley High School. Following that, Ryan took his talents to Boise State, where he played from 2013-15. 

In 2016, Ryan moved to NC State and had impressive numbers. He threw for 10,501 yards, including 60 touchdowns. In the NFL, Ryan Finley played 8 games for the Bengals. He threw for 638 yards and accumulated 4 touchdowns. Cincinnati traded Ryan to the Houston Texans in 2021. The Texans waived him in May 2021. 

When Ben Finley was rising the ranks in his school, his brother was the star. While it is unclear, this may have been the reason why the younger brother specifically chose to play the quarterback position. Ben is constantly asked about his brother’s influence, and he glowingly mentions how the elder brother is always there to clear his doubts and help mitigate difficult situations, both in life as well as football.