Remembering Jim Finch: Razorback Legend, Master Craftsman, and Gentle Giant
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas football family will gather Friday to honor the life of Jim Finch, a cornerstone of the Razorbacks’ 1964 national championship team and a man whose legacy stretches well beyond the gridiron. Finch passed away on Jan. 29 in his hometown of Forrest City at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of grit, craftsmanship, and quiet strength.
Finch’s name may not always be the first mentioned when recounting Arkansas’ storied football history, but to those who played alongside him - and to those who understand the weight of a single play in a championship season - he was unforgettable.
“He was a hell of a football player,” said Jerry Welch, Finch’s teammate from 1962 to 1964. “He was a great guy to be around and a good teammate.”
And on one unforgettable October afternoon in 1964, Finch made the kind of play that still echoes through Razorback lore.
The Play That Changed Everything
It was Oct. 14, 1964.
Arkansas was clinging to a 14-13 lead over No. 1 Texas in Austin with just 1:27 left on the clock.
The Longhorns had just marched 70 yards in 16 plays, capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Ernie Koy. But instead of settling for a tie, Texas head coach Darrell Royal went for the win.
The decision set the stage for one of the most pivotal defensive plays in program history.
As Texas quarterback Marvin Kristynik rolled right on a bootleg pass, Finch came crashing in. The pressure forced Kristynik to rush the throw, and the two-point attempt fell incomplete. Arkansas held on for the win, snapping Texas’ 17-game winning streak and clearing the path to a perfect season and the Grantland Rice Trophy, awarded by the Football Writers Association of America.
“It was probably the biggest play of the whole year,” said Ken Hatfield, who returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown earlier in the game - a play that’s become iconic in its own right. “Lord have mercy, they were the No. 1 team in the nation.
They had won 17 in a row. Everybody was worn out.
They made a good call, but [Arkansas defensive coordinator Jim] Mackenzie made a great call, too, and Jim made a great play. I’ll never forget it.”
Hatfield, who would later become Arkansas’ head coach, said the Razorbacks were ready when Koy exited the game and Mackenzie audibled to a goal-line pass defense - a rarity in that era. The defensive line widened out, anticipating the bootleg. Finch read it perfectly.
“He came upfield and took on the pulling guard on the upside shoulder where the guy could not get him pinned inside,” Hatfield recalled. “That made all the difference.”
Finch revisited the moment years later in the 2004 documentary 22 Straight!, which chronicled the Razorbacks’ championship season.
“We wanted to win the ballgame,” Finch said. “We wanted to fly out of there after that ballgame and see that dome on that capitol building dark.”
He described the play with the same simplicity and clarity he brought to the field: “What I attempted to do is to rush the passer, to cut inside the end and put as much pressure on the quarterback as possible. It just so happened they came my way… and we won the ballgame.”
A Life Beyond Football
After his playing days, Finch returned to Forrest City and took over his father’s business. He didn’t just continue the family trade - he elevated it. Known as a master craftsman, Finch’s work would eventually earn him recognition far beyond his hometown.
From 1977 to 1980, Finch built a 6,000-square-foot home for his friend Don Edmondson on Crowley’s Ridge. The house, designed by renowned architect Fay Jones, would become one of the most celebrated private residences in the region. Finch later added a 1,900-square-foot guest house in the mid-1980s.
The project earned Finch the AIA Builder of the Year Award and helped the home receive the AIA Gulf States Region Award. It was later included in the AIA Gold Medal awarded to Jones.
“There was no budget,” said Kathy Finch, Jim’s wife of 60 years, in a 2023 interview. “[Don Edmondson] said he didn’t want money to intimidate creativity.”
Asked how it felt to build what many consider an architectural landmark, Finch responded with his characteristic humility.
“It makes me feel good,” he said. “It would make anybody feel good to get through with it and it all still works.
I drive by it every now and then… and stop and look at it. You don’t build something like this and forget it.
It’s like marrying a pretty woman.”
But the home that meant the most to Finch wasn’t the one that won awards. It was his own - a place he called Countryland, where he lived for over 50 years and raised his family.
A Teammate, A Builder, A Family Man
Finch’s impact was felt not just on the field or through his craftsmanship, but in the relationships he built along the way. In 2019, he was inducted into the Forrest City Mustang Football Hall of Fame, a nod to his roots in the game.
Hatfield, who grew up in nearby Helena, remembered the early days of their rivalry-turned-brotherhood.
“We played three games in junior high and three games in senior high against each other,” Hatfield said. “[Finch] was a heck of a player then.
He was a fullback and he could play anything. He was tough.
We were very fortunate we all ended up at the University of Arkansas.”
“There wasn’t a greater teammate, and we will certainly miss him.”
Finch is survived by his wife Kathy, their four daughters - Hallie Wilson, Jimmie Kay Finch, Monte Clair Greer, and Jamie Freyaldenhoven - and a legacy that stretches across generations.
His funeral is set for Friday at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Forrest City.
As his obituary put it, “Jimmy will be remembered as a gentle giant whose steady presence, quiet strength, and deep love for his family defined his life. He carried great pride in his Razorback roots and even greater joy in those he loved.”
The Razorback family - and all who knew him - will remember Jim Finch not just for one play that changed a season, but for a life that left an enduring mark.
Go Hogs.