He made the Pro Bowl in 1952, and in the preseason of 1955 beat out Johnny Unitas to keep the quarterback job with the Steelers. He also played professional baseball in 19. He played three seasons as a defensive back, then moved to quarterback when the Steelers switched from the single wing to the T-formation. Finks, a native of Salem, Ill., entered the NFL as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1949. He would always think about the positive and say, 'Hey, let's go on to the next goal and the next objective.' " "He could always bounce back quickly from adversity, from a tough loss. "He was always able to come around when things were tough and pick everybody up," Mora said. Finks' reputation as a tough man to deal with at contract time, Mora said there was a totally different side that most never saw. He had a very positive influence on everyone who came into contract with him."ĭespite Mr. When Jim was here in the office you felt like everything was going to be OK. "He was the glue that held everything together. "He meant so much to this organization," said Saints coach Jim Mora, who was hired by Mr. The next year, the Saints went 12-3, their first winning season and the second best in the NFL, and won their first playoff game.īy 1991, the 25th anniversary of the franchise, New Orleans won the National Football Conference West Division with an 11-5 mark. Finks' first season, the Saints finished 7-9 - their only losing record after his arrival. Finks joined the Saints in January 1986, the team had gone 19 years without a winning season and was best known for its fans wearing paper bags over their heads and calling themselves the "Aints" during the 1-15 season in 1980. Saints owner Tom Benson retained him as a consultant but did not replace him as president and general manager. Doctors diagnosed an advanced case of the disease when he went to the hospital after the NFL draft.Īfter undergoing chemotherapy in 1993, he was unable to return to work. Finks, a heavy smoker, battled lung cancer since April 1993. "It wasn't a coincidence that he subsequently built winning clubs in Chicago and New Orleans." "Jim Finks was one of those rare individuals in sports who could do it all, and in fact did it all very well," Rozelle said. Finks' versatility was evident in 1964, when he began building the Vikings into a championship team. He contributed enormously to sports and also to the communities in which he lived." "Jim Finks had a vision for the game that stood the test of time," Tagliabue said in a statement. Finks chairman of the competition committee - the body that recommends rules changes. The job, given up by Pete Rozelle, eventually went to Paul Tagliabue, who made Mr. However, he was able to get only 18 of 21 votes from the owners. Finks also had success in baseball, helping the Chicago Cubs win the National League East title in 1984.įive years ago, he was the choice of a six-man selection committee to become commissioner of the NFL, a league he had been in for 40 years as a player, coach and general manager. Finks died Sunday night (May 8, 1994) at his home, Saints spokesman Rusty Kasmiersky said.Ī front-office dealmaker for the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings as well as the Saints, Mr. Jim Finks, the New Orleans Saints' president and general manager who nearly became National Football League commissioner in 1989, has died of lung cancer. LUNG CANCER KILLS SAINTS' FINKS: - May 10, 1994
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