Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 16, 2019 15 BY TODD D. BURLAGE M ild mannered and naturally reserved, nobody would think that Chris Finke is the type of guy to compile sort of a hit list. Always doubted and often over- looked as an undersized athlete at Archbishop Alter High School near Dayton, Ohio, Finke — now a fifth- year Notre Dame senior captain, a versatile wide receiver and a vet- eran punt returner — became so ob- sessed with anyone who questioned his abilities during those formative years, he compiled a "Doubters List" of folks who dared to try. And at no more than 5-8 and 155 pounds in high school, who could blame him? "Chris was just a skinny little kid," longtime Alter head football coach Ed Domsitz recalled. "But he had some athletic ability and was always very smart. He always understood what it was going to take and the path he would need to be successful. "Much of his success now goes back to his self-belief and hard work then." Be it coaches, teammates, oppo- nents or media members, Finke's doubters list — a compilation he privately kept on his cell phone — included names and a brief descrip- tion of how these critics landed in his guarded fraternity. "You make a mental note of it," Finke said. Another charter member of the "dis list" secured his place during a family reunion about five years ago where Finke announced his inten- tion of walking on to the Notre Dame football team. Finke drew more laughs and doubt from an unnamed uncle than praise or pride. Unamused, Finke's list grew, and an uncle was left to eat crow years later when his undersized, over- achieving nephew parlayed a deci- sion to walk on at Notre Dame in 2015 into a scholarship there in 2016, a starting wide receiver spot in 2018 and a captains "C" on his chest in 2019. "If you would have told me when I came in as a walk-on freshman that I would be captain eventually," Finke said, "I don't know if I would have believed you." Senior quarterback Ian Book never had a doubt, calling Finke the most reliable target in a talented stable of Irish wide receivers. Two-thirds of Finke's 49 receptions last season went for either a first down or one of his two touchdowns. "Chris Finke is amazing," Book said. "He's always there, he's always doing the right thing and when it comes to football, he catches every- thing. He's just reliable." And Finke's reliability and versa- tility are already being tested. Player losses in the preseason be- cause of shoulder injuries to junior wide receiver Michael Young and ju- nior tight end Cole Kmet, followed by the season-long disciplinary sus- pension of sophomore wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., trimmed Book's re- ceiving options, reshaped the Irish passing offense and forced Finke to learn a new trade. Slated to be the starting slot re- ceiver (working inside), the shifty Finke is now being asked to expand his role and add X receiver (down- field duties) to his repertoire to also become a boundary and deep threat. According to third-year Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, adaptability won't be a problem. "Finke's unbelievable," he said, admitting that this affinity between coach and player took some time to grow. Finke spent his true freshman sea- son in 2015 — two years before Long arrived — gaining notice during practice as a valuable receiver, punt returner and spot defensive back, mainly in a scout team role. Never appearing in a game during that red- shirt year, Finke still put himself on the coaches' radar. Fast forward to August 2016 after the dismissal of safety Max Redfield and the suspension of cornerback Devin Butler, and head coach Brian Kelly didn't hesitate to offer Finke one of those available scholarships. Finke responded that season with 10 catches and two touchdowns, but changes and presumptions were coming. Hired in 2017 and focused more on two bigger incoming receiver transfers with Freddy Canteen and Cameron Smith, Long wasn't overly enthusiastic over a smallish former walk-on who struggled to pass the eye test. "Our first year, just because he was so slight, he probably didn't play as much as he wanted to," Long re- cently recalled of Finke's first im- pression from two years ago. "He at- tacked the weight room, had a great year for us last year when we relied heavily on him, and he's done a great job of being a leader for us offen- sively in that receiver room." And on the field, Finke — now a ripped 5-9½, 184 pounds — played in every game during the 2018 season and recorded 49 catches for 571 yards with two scores, then added another 196 yards on his 20 punt returns, highlighted by a 52-yarder against Wake Forest. Finke gladly accepted his offer be- fore this season to return to Notre Dame for a fifth and final time, but his commitment provided some major adjustments and sacrifices to balance his role as a student and an athlete. Having already earned his under- graduate degree at Notre Dame in WHEN IN DOUBT Fifth-year senior Chris Finke's rise from walk-on to team captain was fueled by his naysayers Finke's Notre Dame career has progressed from being a preferred walk-on punt returner in 2015 to earning a scholarship in 2016, becoming a starting slot receiver in 2018 and being named one of the team captains this year. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL