Chris Finlen, NIU football’s all-time leading Division I passer, signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints Wednesday.

A 2002 NIU graduate, Finlen signed a two-year deal for the league’s minimum ($225,000 for the first year and $305,000 for the second). The contract is non-guaranteed pending if he makes the team.

For the past season, Finlen worked as a Player Personal Intern with the Chicago Bears, but is happy to get the call as a player.

“It was a great experience doing that with the Bears, but obviously this is what I want to do,” Finlen said. “I’d much rather be playing than sitting in an office.”

The Hononegah High School alumnus began his NIU career as a redshirt walk-on, and turned into a four-year starter finishing his time as a Huskie with 6,551 passing yards, a 55.2 completion percentage and 42 touchdowns.

Coming out of DeKalb, Finlen wasn’t happy with his agent Vern Sharbaugh and didn’t get any interest from pro teams. That is when the 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback ended up with his current agent Cliff Brady, who also represents Finlen’s former NIU teammates Ryan Diem (Indianapolis Colts) and Justin McCareins (Tennessee Titans). Finlen ran into Brady at McCarein’s engagement party.

“Throughout the night we were talking about what my thoughts were, and this and that,” Finlen said. “I heard great things about my new agent. We talked some more over the months.”

Brady then took Finlen to his condo in Naples, Fla., and worked him out with his new signees. After working out for a week, Brady made a call to people within the Saints organization.

“[Brady’s] pretty close with the Saints and some of their front office guys, and tried to get my foot in the door,” Finlen said. “They watched film of me, and decided to send a scout down to Florida. And instead of flying a guy to see me, they flew me down to New Orleans.”

After going to New Orleans on Thursday night, he worked out for the Saints on Friday morning.

After the workout, Brady got a page from the Saints on Tuesday morning saying they’d like to sign Finlen. They soon after sent a FedEx to Finlen with the actual contract, which he signed Wednesday.

“They are thinking of sending me to NFL Europe during the off-season,” Finlen said. “It’s kind of a crazy thing. They have a draft in NFL Europe, but if a team really wants you they’ll get you. Amsterdam; Spain; and Ryan, Germany; are the teams they are talking about most, basically because they throw the ball a lot in those teams. It’s a 10-week season, and you finish a month before training camp.

“[New Orleans’ star quarterback Aaron] Brooks had an injury, and they possibly want to have me come down for mini camp. Right now, from what they told my agent, they expect me to battle for the third quarterback position and give a good fight for it. I’m getting good responses from their front office.”

Finlen is still staying at his apartment in Chicago with two former NIU students, Adam Oldenburg and John Arlotta. He is working out with Brady’s trainer, Dave Buchanan of Pro Sport Training in Rolling Meadows. He is training with four players who Brady also represents who are coming out of college and are getting ready for the NFL combines; Kevin Walter (WR, Eastern Michigan), Andre Ford (WR, Buffalo), DeMario Suggs (DB, Michigan State) and Sean Burton (TE, NC State). While waiting to hear back work from the Saints, Finlen is training there two times a day, six days a week until mid-February.