 "Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter")
Jermichael Finley hears the same question every time he talks to NFL scouts.
"They come up to me and say, 'Is it true that you've got eight kids?" Finley said.
He has two, including 2-month-old daughter Kaydon Tayler Finley. And they're a big part of the reason that he decided to declare for the NFL draft.
Another popular item of controversy is whether Finley was used enough during his two years as a tight end on the Texas football team.
Finley made attention-grabbing catches for touchdowns in his first year as a Longhorn. Still, he only caught 31 passes that season and 45 the following year.
Finley made headlines last month at the NFL Combine when he claimed that Texas' coaches made a mistake in not throwing him the ball. He pointed to his performance in the Longhorns' 28-21 loss to Oklahoma where he had four catches for 149 yards as an example for what he could do.
"That game showed that I needed the ball more in my hands," Finley said. "And Texas couldn't do it, so I had to come to the next level and hopefully at the next level I can get the ball and the offensive coordinator can get me the ball some kind of way."
Finley was then asked why he wasn't a popular target during the rest of the season.
"I guess they didn't want to [give me the ball], that's what it was," he said.
Texas coach Mack Brown had a conversation with Finley on Wednesday morning regarding the tight end's recent comments at the Combine. Brown advised Finley to be careful when commenting to the media and, when in doubt, to keep his "damned mouth shut," according to Finley. A Longhorn official said Brown declined to comment on the conversation.
Underutilized or not, Finley has a chance at the second or third round of the draft because of his workout Wednesday. He cut his 40-yard dash time to a 4.62, down from a 4.82 at the Combine. After the Combine, numerous mock drafts projected him anywhere from the late third round to the fifth round.
That's no longer the case.
After his shuttle drills and passing drills, he spent at least 15 minutes running route drills with a scout from the Carolina Panthers.
He had his first interview Wednesday with the New York Jets and he will interview with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 2nd.
Then he will get closer to fulfilling one of the main motivations behind his decision to declare for the NFL Draft early. With his first big signing bonus, he can take care of his 3-year-old back in Diboll and Kaydon Tayler.
"It really influenced my decision that she was coming along," Finley said. "They are going to be supported really well. Wealthy too."
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