After a 21-year career, Doug Flutie has decided to hang up his cleats for a microphone. The former Charger, Bill, Bear and Patriot (x2) quarterback will join ABC/ESPN as a college football analyst.
The former Heisman trophy winner has had quite an interesting career. After being selected by the Los Angles Rams in the 11th round of the 1985 draft, he decided to play for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. Flutie thought that the style of play better suited his free wheeling attributes.
Flutie later joined the NFL, but never found his footing until playing in the CFL. It was there that he would find most of his success by throwing for 41,355 yards and 270 touchdowns in eight seasons with British Columbia, Calgary and Toronto. Flutie won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award six times and the league’s Grey Cup championship three times.
Flutie would make one final return to the NFL and did end up in a starters role. He also made quite a lasting impression as a kicker.
Flutie finishes with 14,715 passing yards and 86 touchdowns in the NFL, spending most of his time as a backup. Last season, he converted the league’s first drop kick for an extra point since the 1941 NFL title game.
“If that ends up being my last play, it wouldn’t be bad,” Flutie said after the game, a mostly meaningless regular season-ending loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The kick was something, but it will never rival Flutie’s last second heave to Gerard Phelan on a desperation 48-yard touchdown pass that propelled Boston College over Miami in 1984. That play is shown on ESPN almost daily when the bowl season starts approaching.
Not to bring up a sore subject on the man’s retirement day, but I’ll always remember the look on Flutie’s face when he watched the Music City Miracle play from the Bills sideline in the 1999 NFL season. He leads Buffalo to a playoff berth only to watch then head coach Wade Phillips hand the starting role over to Rob Johnson right before the game.
This guy got passed over his whole career and still is memorable.
