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During his time with the Colorado football team, Ben Finneseth has mainly shown one emotion.
“He’s always happy,” Buffs lineman Jordan Seaton said.
On Saturday afternoon, CU head coach Deion Sanders evoked some different emotions from Finneseth, rewarding the walk-on safety from Durango with a scholarship before the annual Black & Gold game at Folsom Field.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve see Ben cry,” Seaton said.
The hard-working fifth-year senior was brought up to the stage in the locker room by Sanders, who announced the scholarship in front of the team.
“Oh man, all glory to God,” Finneseth said after the scrimmage. “I almost started crying as soon as he said, ‘Where’s 28?’ I was like, ‘Oh well, keep a straight face; don’t cry.’”
He couldn’t hold the tears in, though.
“I did (cry) once I put my head in (Sanders’) shoulder, but I couldn’t let everyone see it,” he joked. “Just looking back on the journey that it’s been and all the change that’s happened here … I told coach, as soon as I put my head in his shoulder, I said, ‘Thanks for believing in me.’ He’s believed in me since day one, and I just can’t thank the coaching staff, my teammates; I can’t thank everyone enough for just giving me the opportunity and the ability to work and to get better and to just be here. So it’s been an absolute blessing.”
Tabbed by Sanders as an “OB” – the original Buffs who were on the team before Sanders was hired in December of 2022 – Finneseth has been the model of what the head coach likes in a player.
“He works hard. He don’t take days off,” Sanders said. “Smart as a whip. He don’t blow coverages, don’t miss assignments. Always in a good mood. I’ve never seen Ben frown. I’ve never seen Ben angry. I’ve never seen Ben hate on anybody.
“He’s our guy, so rewarding him for what he’s brought to us and being consistent. He’s an OB, he’s one of the original Buffs. He didn’t quit, he didn’t walk away, he didn’t shy away from competition. … Ben is what this team, it’s who we are. Ben exemplifies all those points and I love him to life, not just as a football player, but as a human being.”
Finneseth is one of just seven OBs left from 2022. All of them were walk-ons until running back Charlie Offerdahl was rewarded with a scholarship at the 2024 spring game. Now, Finneseth joins him.
“For us OBs, we take pride in it, and I take pride in being the leader of all of us,” Finneseth said. “It was cool for me last year to see Charlie earn this thing, because now I get to be in Charlie’s shoes, and other guys get to look up to me, and this is their opportunity.
“I’m just blessed to have been able to stay the course, stay the path, and keep grinding all through it. So it’s been absolutely amazing.”
Finneseth, who had over 1,000 receiving yards and 600 rushing yards in his prep career, while also racking up 134 tackles, was an all-state player at Durango High School and had Division II offers. As a senior, he went on a trip to Colorado School of Mines when he asked his father to take him to see Folsom Field.
“I looked through (the gates) and I said, ‘Dad, I’m coming here,’ and I made that my goal,” he said. “When I came here, a lot of people told me I was dumb and that I was just going to be the special teams guy that never got to see the field. That’s kind of the vision that people saw for me, but I saw something different for myself.”
One of the Buffs’ top special teams players the last three years, Finneseth has had an opportunity this spring to play with the first-team defense. He’s got a shot to make an impact on defense, as well as special teams this season.
“(This spring) I really just wanted to lead the defense and lead the special teams the way that I feel like I’m supposed to and the way I’m called to, so that was my focus all spring,” he said. “I knew if I did the things I needed to do, that (a scholarship) would come.”
It did, and it was no surprise to Seaton.
“He may not be the most talented, but he’s going to give you what he’s got every play,” Seaton said. “It’s well earned, and I’m actually so happy for Ben that that happened. It was just a great moment to be a part of. Between him and Charlie, those two guys bring their all every single day until their legs won’t work.”
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