Cullen Finnerty, who led Grand Valley State University to three Division II national titles and more than 50 wins during his 4 years as a starter in Allendale Michigan, was found dead in the woods of Michigan, Fox News reported. Michigan authorities said that there is no foul suspected, and are awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Finnerty, who vanished on Sunday near his family's cottage in Baldwin, was found at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the woods within a mile of where disappeared, Lake County Undersheriff Dennis Robinson said. The search drew many police and volunteers, including staff and players from Grand Valley State.
"There's no wounds that I saw," Lake County Sheriff Robert Hilts said, and that Finnerty was wearing fishing waders and a camouflaged jacket when he was found under a pine tree.
His wife said he spoke to Finnerty on Sunday night in a phone call in which he said "he was nervous about something," after fishing Hilts said Tuesday. The family suspected "he might be having some kind of a mental episode-that he was either afraid or something off into the woods," Hilts added.
The sheriff indicated that they were tracking his cell phone "until it went dead." The terrain made the search for him difficult. "This is the last river I'd pick to fish," citing logjams and dense brush around the Baldwin River. "It's a tough river to navigate."
State police, the sheriff's office and area fire departments were all part of the search mission. Current and former Grand Valley State players, coach and staff personnel also lent a hand in the search effort.
Finnerty's Division II teams won three titles in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He briefly was in the NFL, playing for the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos.
"It's very chilling," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who was Finnerty's coach at Grand Valley said on Tuesday, before Finnerty's body was found. "He led me to a national championship as a true freshman. When I left, coach Martin took over and won two more national championships. My heart goes out to the family and to his beautiful wife."
