How former Detroit King star Dequan Finn impressed Toledo football before the game began

Toledo quarterback and Detroit native Dequan Finn was back in his hometown last week for the 2023 MAC football kickoff.

Although it had been a while, it was not his first time at the Fox Theatre.

Finn reflected fondly on the memory of seeing "Sesame Street Live" as a kid and said returning now is a full circle moment.

The former Detroit King star took a big leap in his past two seasons as the starter. He threw for 2,260 yards and 23 touchdowns last season to lead the Rockets to the MAC championship.

"I did a good job, as far as helping the team accelerate to a better level but, there's always work to be done," Finn said Thursday. "I'm just trying to improve my game to help the overall team get better as one because that's what we always talk about, living as one, like I said, just improve my game to put my head down, just stick to the X's and O's and you know, developing as a better player."

Finn credits the connection he formed with head coach Jason Candle while he was at King as to what led him to Toledo. However, at first glance, Candle didn't think he was going to be the guy to lead the team.

"I watched him play a game as a high school junior and (came) away from that game thinking like, no way this guy can play quarterback for us," Candle said.

Things changed a year later, partly due to circumstances outside of Finn's control.

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"The game that I went to his senior year, the visiting team was actually late in getting to the game. So the start time got pushed back a little bit," Candle said. "Watching him go out on the field without his coaches forcing him to do that pregame and then work through the passing route tree with his guys and getting them ready and how his teammates responded to him really solidified to me that this guy can be a guy that could just lead our program, and his maturation process at Toledo has been consistent with that."

Finn has kept those same characteristics since coming to Toledo, something Candle believes has made him the quarterback he is today.

"He's won the job here because his teammates rallied around him," Candle said. "And that didn't happen without authentic relationships and strong connections with guys in the locker room, so any quarterback at any level that's had any successes, that's the foundation of where it begins. Then ultimately, the result of that is really good play on the field."

The other trait that has made Finn so successful, according to Candle, is his ability to step up in big moments. He pointed specifically to the team's matchup against Kent State last season where the Rockets fell behind early, 21-0. Finn brushed it off to match a program-record six touchdown passes and rushed for one himself to give Toledo a 52-31 win.

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Entering his senior season, Finn believes his personal goals stem from team goals. For example, he wants to improve his turnover ratio by taking better care of the football.

The main goal as a team is to win another conference championship, and to achieve that, he would like to throw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Even if he doesn't reach those stats, he'll be happy doing whatever it takes to hoist that championship trophy once again at Ford Field, just a short walk away from Fox Theater and a short ride from his old high school.

The Rockets open the season Sept. 2 at Illinois (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dequan Finn, former Detroit King QB, thriving for Toledo football