ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn, hiː wʌz ɪndˈʌktᵻd ˌɪntʊ ðɪ oʊhˈaɪoʊ jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi æθlˈɛɾɪks hˈɔːl ʌv fˈeɪm dʒˈɔɪnɪŋ hɪz fˈɑːðɚ, ɹˈʌs fˈɪnstɚwəld, hˌuː wʌz ɪnðə fˈɜːst klˈæs ʌv ɪndˈʌktiːz æz ɐ fˈʊtbɔːl plˈeɪɚ, ænd lˈeɪɾɚ bˈæskɪtbˌɔːl ænd fˈʊtbɔːl hˈɛd kˈoʊtʃ.
In 1969, he was inducted into the Ohio University Athletics Hall of Fame joining his father, Russ Finsterwald, who was in the first class of inductees as a football player, and later basketball and football head coach.