Doug Flutie, the Heisman Trophy winner who graced the cover of four issues of Sports Illustrated and thousands of Wheaties boxes, was the guest of the Little Rock Touchdown Club Monday.
Flutie is best known for the “Hail Flutie,” the Hail Mary pass he completed for Boston College to beat the Miami Hurricanes in 1984. Flutie told club founder and host Bazzel that he could not even “throw out” a guess as to how many times he has seen the clip of that play over the years.
“It was one of the all-time great games,” Bazzel said.
The retired quarterback, who stands at only five-foot-nine, has reached heights in his 21-year career that people did not expect. When he was graduating from high school, he had only one offer to play at the collegiate level — from Boston College — so that is where he chose to go.
“The future Heisman Trophy winner had no other offers,” Bazzel said.
Flutie’s career began to take off as he started getting playing time and racking up yards. After college, he played in the old United States Football League. He later played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams and also for eight years in the Canadian Football League, where he won six MVP awards. He finished his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.
“We’ll give it two years and see what happens,” Flutie said about signing with the Bills.
He ended up playing three years in Buffalo and said the fans there are some of the best. Flutie also shared what it was like to play alongside well-known players such as Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
Photo Credit: DeWaine Duncan
“I have a soft spot for guys who work their tail off,” he said of Brees.
Flutie also praised the way Brady led his teams.
“He made everybody on the roster feel like you were the reason we won,” he said.
Flutie still holds the professional football record for passing yards in a single season at 6,619. He set it in 1991 with the BC Lions of the CFL. Over his career, he racked up a total of 58,179 passing yards.
“When I was on the field, I was home,” he said.
Flutie was at home on the dance floor as well — he made it through seven weeks of season 22 on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I was happy I got past week one.”
Outside of football, Flutie is a family man. He and his wife, Laurie, have been together since his sophomore year of high school and have now been married for 41 years.
The Fluties have two children, one of whom is autistic. This inspired Flutie to found the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, named after his son. Since its founding in 1998, the foundation has raised more than $50 million, he said.
Next week, the club will host former Arkansas Razorback and future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Jason Peters.
Feature photo by DeWaine Duncan
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