Ed Orgeron recalls TJ Finley’s departure from LSU, what he expects this week
By Keith Farner
Published:
Ed Orgeron still recalls when TJ Finley left LSU, and how it unfolded. Now the LSU coach will face his former quarterback this week when LSU plays host to Auburn and Finley, who took over mid-game last week and led a game-winning drive against Georgia State.
“First of all, TJ came and talked to me like a man in my office,” Orgeron said at his Monday press conference. “He didn’t want to leave, he cried. LSU meant a lot to him, but I knew that. It was a decision that was made and it was best for him. So he left, and listen, it looks like he’s doing well. We wish him the best, obviously not against us, but TJ’s always going to be a part of our family. He’s from Ponchatoula (Louisiana), he’s got a great family. After the game, we’re going to shake hands, just like us playing Cody (Orgeron). It’s family, but once we compete, we compete. We wish him the very best and hope he does very well, and we’re going to shake his hand after the game.”
Finley at LSU last season saw action in 5 games, all starts, as a true freshman before he transferred following the 2021 spring semester. At LSU, he threw for 941 yards and 5 TDs and was 2-3 as a starter, leading LSU to wins over South Carolina and Arkansas.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
