A quarterback who recently transferred to a different college was arrested for allegedly stealing a car, but he says the situation is all one big misunderstanding.
Tulane quarterback TJ Finley was arrested on Wednesday for “illegally possessing a stolen item worth more than $25,000.” The quarterback has been released from custody, and has informed authorities that he purchased the vehicle in Atlanta.
After Finley’s release from jail, his attorneys have released a statement.
“TJ Finley was a victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam,” the statement says.
Finley’s attorneys David Courcelle and Scott Stansbury provided the statement to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Statement from David Courcelle and Scott Stansbury, the attorneys for Tulane QB TJ Finley, who was arrested Wednesday for illegal possession a stolen vehicle. He told police he purchased the truck recently. Tulane suspended Finley pending the outcome of his case. pic.twitter.com/M9pokEwglt
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) April 3, 2025
“He purchased a used pickup truck from an individual who presented himself as John Spillway, representing Mountain Adventures, LLC. Spillway presented TJ with both a bill of sale and registration, giving TJ every reason to believe the purchase was legitimate. Within three days of the purchase, Tulane police informed TJ that the truck had been reported stolen.”
Finley’s attorney’s say that he intends to fully cooperate with authorities in their investigation, as well as to recoup the funds he spent on the truck after his arrest.
“TJ is hopeful that this process will be completed quickly so that he can move forward with his academics and athletic career,” his attorneys said.
Finley is set to play at Tulane this season after spending time at four other college programs. He began his career at LSU, signing with the Tigers as a three-star recruit out of Louisiana.
Finley would follow his time at LSU with stints at Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky. He had the most prolific season of his college career in 2023 at Texas State, leading the Bobcats to an 8-5 record while throwing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.
After putting the situation behind him and being released from jail, it appears that Finley is prepared to let the case play out in the legal system over the next few months.
On the field, he’ll be working to earn the starting quarterback role for the Green Wave during the 2025 season. We’ll see if Finley can emerge from this controversy as the Tulane’s new quarterback following spring ball.
Related: College Football Quarterback Arrested In Connection To Stolen Car
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