Doug Flutie was a standout football player and 1984 Heisman Trophy winner for Boston College from 1981-1984. Upon his graduation, Flutie was the NCAA’s all-time passing yardage leader with 10,579 career yards through the air.
He was a three-time ECAC Division I Player of the Year and undoubtedly the most celebrated college student-athlete in New England history. In 1982, Flutie tossed for 2,749 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to claiming his first ECAC Player of the Year award as a sophomore. He led the Golden Eagles to an 8-3-1 record that season and an appearance in the Tangerine Bowl. In Flutie’s senior season, his Hail Mary toss to defeat the Miami Hurricanes is known to this day as “the pass.” A week after that infamous play, Flutie went on to capture the 1984 Heisman Trophy and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. In addition to his athletic achievements in Chestnut Hill, Flutie flourished in the classroom. He was a candidate for a Rhodes scholarship, for which he was named a finalist in 1984.
Flutie was selected with the 285th pick in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and in 1986 he signed with the Chicago Bears, and later played for the New England Patriots where he became the starting quarterback in 1988. Flutie went on to play in the Canadian Football League for eight years and is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks to play in the CFL. He tossed for over 41,000 yards in his CFL career with 270 career touchdowns.