Flutie surprised many when he signed with the New England Patriots instead of the New York Giants. He became the backup behind Tom Brady and played several times at the end of games to take a few snaps. Flutie has a 37-28 record as an NFL starter, including a 22-9 record in home games.

Referring to his time in the Canadian Football League (and, presumably, to the quarterback's relatively diminutive stature), television football commentator John Madden once said, "Inch for inch, Flutie in his prime was the best QB of his generation."

In a December 26, 2005 game against the New York Jets, Flutie was sent in late in the game. The Jets also sent in their back-up quarterback, Vinny Testaverde. This was the first time in NFL history that two quarterbacks over the age of 40 competed against each other (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43). It is also worth noting that this was the final nationally televised Monday Night Football game on ABC before its move to ESPN.

In the Patriots' regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins on January 1, 2006, Flutie successfully drop kicked a football for an extra point, something that had not been done in a regular-season NFL game since 1941. The ball went straight through the uprights for the extra point. It was Flutie's first kick attempt in the NFL. Patriots head coach and football historian Bill Belichick made comments that suggested that the play was a retirement present of sorts for his veteran quarterback, although Flutie had made no comment on whether or not 2005 would be his last season.^[12]

During the 2006 offseason, Flutie's agent, Kristen Kuliga, stated he was interested in returning to the Patriots for another season; as a result he was widely expected to return, despite his age. But on May 15, 2006, Flutie announced his decision to "hang up his helmet" at the age of 43 and retire. ^[13]

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Near-return to the CFL

Due to injuries with the Toronto Argonauts, Flutie was contemplating a temporary comeback with the team as of July 25, 2006. Flutie did not plan to play long-term, for he had planned on doing college football commentary on ESPN in the coming season.^[14] On August 18, 2006, a story was published on CFL.ca examining this topic in-depth.^[15] Flutie was pondering a return to Canadian Football because of his relationship with Argonauts head coach and former running back Pinball Clemons, and the desire to "say goodbye to the CFL". According to the report, Flutie was poised to return to Toronto on July 22nd, after their victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the injury to backup quarterback Spergon Wynn. Wynn suffered a mild concussion on a hard hit from defensive tackle Scott Schultz, when his helmet flew off on impact.^[16] Flutie states his reason for opting to ultimately stay in retirement as not wanting to "take any more hits on the field" in a professional Canadian Football game.

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Personal life

Flutie is the older brother of the CFL's second all-time receptions leader, Darren Flutie. Flutie is married to the former Laurie Fortier, his high school sweetheart. They have a daughter, Alexa, and a son, Doug Jr. Their son has autism, and the Fluties established The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. in honor of him. He also created a cereal, Flutie Flakes, with the benefits going toward this organization. In his free time, Flutie has attended college football and basketball games at his alma mater Boston College and was a season ticket-holder. Flutie has spent his summers in Bethany Beach, Delaware, frequenting the local basketball court. Flutie also has worked with the local Massachusetts "Eastern Bank" and is a spokesman for Framingham's Metrowest Medical Center. He is as a member of the Longfellow Sports Clubs at their Wayland and Natick locations. Doug plays drums and his brother Darren Flutie plays guitar in The Flutie Brothers Band. Flutie continues to live in Natick and was honored in November, 2007 by being inducted into the Natick High School Wall of Achievement.

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Halls of Fame

On May 8, 2007, Flutie was elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, becoming the first non-Canadian inductee. ^[17]

On May 9, 2007, Flutie was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. It was his first year of eligibility. ^[18]

On April 2, 2008, Flutie was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. It was his first year of eligibility. ^[19]

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Career statistics

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See also

• Flutie Flakes
• Flutie Fruities
• Flutie effect
• NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating

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References

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External links

• Doug Flutie CFL Legends
• Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism
• Doug Flutie Official Website- includes News, Stats, Merchandise and Autographed Memorabilia
• ESPN Write-up of Flutie's Hail Mary - 100 Most Memorable Moments of the Past 25 Years
• 2004 preseason MMQ article from Sports Illustrated
• ESPN.com Flutie signs with Pats
• SI: Top 10 Scrambling Quarterbacks of the Modern Era
• More Career Stats
• Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics..
• USFL, CFL Stats
• Official CFL Stats
• The Flutie Brothers Band
• FOX Sports - Ten Best Damn unforgettable sports moments
• Coaching Videos by Doug Flutie
• Video clip of Doug Flutie's Hail Mary touchdown pass with Boston College at YouTube