Finlayson, Cardin sign letters of intent to Central
By Ben Miller
Fife Free Pressbmiller@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: February 14, 2008
For Chris Finlayson and Tyler Cardin, their careers on the gridiron at Fife High School may have ended back in November, but Feb. 6 they officially began the next stage of their football playing lives. Both former Trojan playmakers signed letters of intent to suit up for the Central Wash-ington University (CWU) Wildcats for the next four years.
In front of their families, coaches and fellow classmates in the school’s library, the two signed their names on the dotted line that officially made them college scholarship athletes. Their hard work and dedication to the Trojan football program paid off in the best way possible.
“It was awesome,” Cardin said. “I’m really excited right now and I’m looking forward to next year’s season. I can’t wait to be a Wildcat.”
Cardin said that he chose CWU because it was close to home, but allowed him to be far enough away to feel like he was on his own. The fact that it had a winning football program was a bonus for the Nisqually League MVP.
“Central was my first and only visit,” he said. “I liked them a lot so I just decided to go there.”
Finlayson, on the other hand, had taken a pair of other visits before deciding to play for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-6 senior tried both Eastern Washington University and Carroll College in Montana on for size before
deciding that Central was the best fit.
Last season, Finlayson and Cardin were a troublesome combination for the rest of the teams in the
Nisqually League. Finlayson caused all sorts of havoc, flying into opponents’ backfields on defense, while Cardin racked up 2,487 all-purpose yards and 44 total touchdowns as the main clog in the Trojans’ potent ground game.
Coach Kent Nevin is going to be sad to see the pair go next year, but he is happy for where they’ve ended up.
“They’re going to a good program and we’re really excited about that,” Nevin said. “They have really shown that hard work can pay off. They set their goals really high, they wanted to go on and play at the next level and they get that opportunity to do that because of their hard work and what they’ve done on the field.”
Cody Pollack signed a letter of intent last year as a member of the Fife football team to go to Eastern Washington University. However, Nevin said that was the first time that had happen during his time with the Trojans.
“There were a few before my time, but not a ton,” he said.
Finlayson said that he expects to play either defensive end or tight end for the Wildcats, while Cardin said they talked to him about playing slot receiver and kick returner once he got on campus.
“The kick returner is my favorite position, so that’s awesome that they want me to be that,” he said. “(I like) getting the ball and I have control of the game right then for that amount of time and that whatever happens, happens, and I can help or not help the team.”
One of the big positives that CWU offered both players was the chance to continue playing with each other,
knowing that someone they know will already be on the team the minute they get there.
“Just to play college football together is an honor,” Finlayson said.
