Auburn football: TJ Finley to promote 4

AUBURN — T.J. Finley will sign autographs for Auburn football fans this weekend at a store that sells motorcycles and scooters − but no, it has nothing to do with the quarterback's recent arrest on charges of eluding police via moped.

This summer, Finley signed a name, image and likeness deal with Extreme Powersports, a business based out of Columbus, Georgia, that is hoping to establish itself in the Auburn-Opelika community before building a big store. Finley will sign autographs at the Opelika dealership from 5 to 7 p.m. CT Saturday. Autographs cost $20, but recipients will become eligible to win a Go-Kart.

He will make his appearance shortly after he and the Tigers finish an open practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium (2 p.m.), which fans can attend.

Finley has emerged as the favorite to be named Auburn's starting quarterback as the season opener approaches Sept. 3 (6 p.m., ESPN+) against Mercer. The junior is jockeying with transfers Zach Calzada and Robby Ashford for the job.

The same day he reported for the start of preseason practices, Finley was charged with eluding police in an incident stemming from a traffic violation in which he did not wear a helmet while operating a moped. The NIL deal with Extreme Powersports is not related that incident, marketing representative Rob Carter said.

"I know the timing seems weird," Carter said, "but this was all planned out probably two or three months before that all happened."

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Finley and the company arranged the deal because the quarterback enjoys mud riding and other all-terrain vehicle activities as a hobby. He will appear in local TV advertisements throughout the 2022 football season for Extreme Powersports. Company representatives had a conversation with Finley after his arrest, but Carter emphasized that they aren't holding a minor violation against the 20-year-old. "We've got to remember, he's still a kid," Carter said. "It's a mistake. We're human."

Finley has signed NIL deals associated with two of his biggest nonfootball interests: fashion and 4-wheeling. He has a clothing line that's being sold through Amazon, making him the first college football player with an Amazon partnership. The Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native often goes mud-riding with his family when he visits home.

"We're excited about that because we know how much that area loves Auburn, and the fact that we could have the starting quarterback for Auburn signing autographs at the dealership for a couple of hours," Carter said. (Extreme Powersports, obviously, knows as little about the status of the quarterback competition as everyone else.) "He's a kid. He loves to ride. This is his lifestyle. He's the perfect person we're looking for to represent us with what he likes to do."