Jim Finks

James Edward Finks (August 31, 1927 – May 8, 1994) was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football. Jim Finks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, attended high school in Salem, Illinois, and attended college at the University of Tulsa. After being selected as a 12th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1949 NFL Draft, he played for several years as defensive back and quarterback, retiring after the 1955 season.... more

James Edward Finks (August 31, 1927 – May 8, 1994) was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football. Jim Finks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, attended high school in Salem, Illinois, and attended college at the University of Tulsa. After being selected as a 12th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1949 NFL Draft, he played for several years as defensive back and quarterback, retiring after the 1955 season. He served as an assistant coach under Terry Brennan at the University of Notre Dame in 1956, after which he went on to the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, where he served as a player/coach before becoming the general manager on October 31, 1957. Finks turned the Stampeders into a winning team. He signed many of the players that made Calgary the winningest team in the CFL during the 1960s, though it did not win a Grey Cup title until 1971. In 1964, Finks was named the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. In 1968,... less