Finch trying to make Titans while mourning dad’s death
Sharif Finch has a set of silver of dog tags he normally wears.
On one side, it’s a picture of Finch with his parents, Gregory and Wendy. The other one says “everything is for you” with both of their names.
It’s a something he carries with a lot of emotion — he’s had to bury both of his parents.
Gregory died of a heart attack on July 30, three years after Wendy died from breast cancer. He’s been dealing with the loss of his father while trying to carve out a spot on the Titans roster as a pass rusher.
“It’s been hard, man,” he said. “Just having the comfort of my sisters and my brothers, just an emotional roller coaster. Having to bury my dad next to my mom, so it’s hard but at the end of the day life keeps going. Obviously, they are watching over me.”
Finch made the trip to a cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, to say his final goodbye to his father. Surrounded by his family, he has 21 brothers and sisters, Finch played the piano at the funeral.
His song of choice was one Gregory used to play: “Heart and Soul.” Gregory taught the song to him. Playing it at the funeral was the fulfillment of a promise he made to him.
“My grandma was there and she was like, ‘It felt like my dad was playing the song,’” he said. “It just reminded everybody of his warm spirit and how inviting he was as a person. How talented he was musically.”
His parents were his first coaches. Finch was born in Queens, New York, and when he was 6, he joined a little league team.
As he kept playing, he pondered the possibilities football could bring him and his family.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and this has been of theirs as well,” Finch said. “Resiliency, they instilled that in me and no matter what they made sure I kept going and working toward my goal every day. This is a dream of all of ours and I’m trying my hardest to make that happen.”
Sharif Finch