Kaydon Finley loved watching his father’s NFL career unfold, including the Super Bowl XLV championship he won with the Green Bay Packers. But he’s ready to blaze his own trail on the gridiron.

“I want to go on a different path, a different route than what he did,” Finley said. “We have two different playing styles.”

Jermichael Finley was an imposing tight end at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds who could body defenders at the line of scrimmage and make the tough catch across the middle of the field. Kaydon is more of a vertical threat out wide who can rack up YACs (Yards After Catch) as well as anyone in the state.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore from Aledo has been a key cog in the Bearcats winning state championships in each of his seasons on campus. He hauled in 42 catches for 703 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

The success Finley found early in his high school career can be attributed to his relationship with his father, who was a third round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Packers. Jermichael’s status has given Finley opportunities where he has no other choice but to perform and learn to do it under pressure.

“I have more eyes on me. I can’t really mess up,” Finley said. “I know I’m going to perform at a higher level.”

The father-son duo may spend ample time together perfecting Kaydon’s skills, but Jermicahel Finley still ensures that time is spent teaching his son how to handle the mental game.

“He always tells me there are people saying stuff to me, so just block it out and don’t let the outside noise be in your head,” Kaydon Finley said.

Focus is not only Finley’s key mentally, but also to the leadership role he’ll have to take on as an upperclassman. 

“To stay focused and be a good example for the younger kids,” Finley said when asked how he would be a better leader. 

Above all else, though, it’s about results at Aledo and Finley plans on showing those fresh faces on campus how it’s done.

“Put it in their mind that if you’re not here to work, then it’s not going to work out,” he said.

While Finley’s father has helped him develop everything he needs to succeed on the field, and his younger brothers have served as some of his biggest motivations, the recruitment process wouldn’t be possible without his mother. This bond stems from Finley being a family man and his closeness towards them.

“My mom has helped me a lot through the whole thing,” Finley said. “She’s been really open to reaching out to college coaches, and she has helped me in teaching me how to talk to coaches respectfully.”

With 17 offers already, Finley’s had plenty of practice.

His first offer came from the University of Incarnate Word, shortly followed by an offer from his father’s alma mater, the University of Texas. His list of offers now includes schools such as TCU, Penn State, Oklahoma State and Arkansas.

Finley’s list of offers is impressive, especially considering he “used to want to be a soccer player.” His father’s football background eventually brought Finley to the gridiron, where he has never looked back. 

While soccer players deal with a 50-50 ball by going to ground and slide tackling, Finley has another way of dealing with his type of 50-50 ball, a skill he believes to be his biggest asset. 

“(My biggest skill is) going up to get the ball,” Finley said. “If it’s a 50-50 ball, I’m going to go get it.”