By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University standout safety Jordan Finnesy has gone through just about everything a player can experience in his previous five years with the Ichabods.
Washburn senior safety Jordan Finnesy (1) is looking to cap his six-year Ichabod career with a banner 2025 season. [File photo/TSN]
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Plainville native began his time in Topeka with a 2020 season wiped out by COVID-19, was part of a WU team that advanced to the NCAA Playoffs in 2021 and helped the Ichabods post a solid 7-4 campaign in 2022. But his career also included a season-ending injury in 2023 and back-to-back losing seasons the past two years.
And now, with his sixth and final year in an Ichabod uniform coming up, Finnesy is determined to do everything he can to end things with a bang.
"It's been great,'' said Finnesy, a third-team All-MIAA pick last fall while ranking as the Ichabods' second-leading tackler with 89 stops (49 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass interception. "A lot of ups, a lot of downs and I'm still here kicking it and working, so it's just been a great experience overall. I love the city of Topeka and all of the coaches that I've been blessed to be able to play for.
"It's just been a great experience and a great growing experience as well. A lot of downs, but you can't grow if you don't have those and experience different things like that, so I'm just grateful for my time here and I'm looking forward to making the most of what I have left.''
Washburn is coming off a 3-8 season last fall, but after a productive summer, Finnesy thinks the Ichabods are ready to bounce back in a big way in their first season under Zach Watkins, WU's former defensive coordinator.
"It's gone great,'' he said. "We had our best attendance by far since I've been here at Washburn. Just the energy levels are off the charts, the buy-in, the commitment, the just wanting to be here and work with your teammates and with your brothers. It's been awesome to see and it's been awesome to be a part of.
"I'm honestly kind of sad that this is my last summer of it, but I definitely made the most of it and I think that this fall we will see dividends from that work this summer.''
Largely based on last season, Washburn was picked ninth out of 10 teams in the MIAA preseason polls, but Finnesy said that will give the Ichabods added fire for the season.
"You definitely use it, but you don't look into it too much,'' Finnesy said. "There's always going to be people that have their own opinions and they're entitled to that, but at the end of the day we're the ones putting in the work back home, waking up in the mornings, grinding, and doing it all to come out this next fall and prove all of them wrong.
"We know what we're capable of and we'll show that this year when we get the chance.''
Washburn will open its season at home on Aug. 30 against non-conference foe Truman State. The Ichabods will open MIAA play on Sept. 6 against Northwest Missouri. Both games are set for 1 p.m. kickoffs.
