Doug Flutie’s 1984 Heisman Season in Review
Flutie’s last-second pass to defeat Miami in
1984 is immortalized through this statue that was placed outside of BC’s Alumni Stadium
While capturing the nation’s attention with his dazzling play, BC quarterback Doug Flutie helped the Eagles break a 39-year postseason streak by leading them to three consecutive bowl games beginning in 1982.
Flutie wrapped up his magical collegiate career in 1984, but not before completing a pass that will forever live in BC legacy. The miracle play was a dramatic, last second touchdown bomb to Gerard Phelan that gave the Eagles an upset win over Miami. The completed “Hail Mary” pass was the perfect Heisman Trophy winning compliment to Flutie’s 3,454 yards and 27 touchdown passes that season.
While Flutie’s college career ended in grand style, it certainly had its humble beginnings. BC was the only Division I-A program to offer Flutie a scholarship and he received one of the last ones offered. The freshman quarterback was relegated to fourth string in 1981 and creeping doubts made him consider asking Coach Bicknell for a position switch to wide receiver.
A week four contest against Penn State proved to be a benchmark moment for Flutie and the BC program. Trailing the Nittany Lions 38-0, Coach Bicknell called on Flutie as a last resort. The game was too far-gone for BC to rebound for an upset win, but Flutie ignited a spark that would glow for next three and one-half seasons.
Despite his small frame (5’ 9 5/8” and 174 pounds), Flutie surpassed BYU’s Jim McMahon as the all-time total offense leader in NCAA history. Flutie left school as the NCAA’s all-time passing yardage leader with 10,579 yards and was a consensus All-America as a senior. He earned Player of the Year awards from UPI, Kodak, The Sporting News and the Maxwell Football Club. In honor of Flutie’s achievements, Boston College retired his #22 jersey.
In addition to his collegiate athletic achievement, Flutie maintained a distinguished academic record at Boston College. His scholastic achievements earned him a nomination as a candidate for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, for which he was named a finalist in 1984. Upon graduating, Flutie won a National Football Foundation post-graduate scholarship.Flutie was a six-time CFL Player of the Year before rejoining the NFL in 1998. Because of his reaction to his son’s severe autism, Flutie has continued to score off the field. He has helped other families that have children with the brain disorder by establishing the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Doug Flutlie’s Professional Football Travels
September 26, 1983
Deemed to small to play in the NFL for most of his professional career, Doug Flutie took his game north and made a tremendous impact on the Canadian Football League. His career CFL statistics include 41,355 passing yards and 270 touchdowns. Upon his retirement he held the professional football record of
6,619 yards passing in a single season. and possessed four of the CFL’s top five highest single-season completion marks, including a record 466 in 1991.
His 48 touchdown passes in 1994 set a CFL record. He earned three Grey Cup MVP awards, and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player a record six times (1991-1994, and 1996-1997).
During his 21-year pro football career Flutie actually played six years of pro ball before making is CFL debut. His first pro season was in 1985 with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. Five years of spot duty followed as Flutie played three season with the Chicago Bears and two seasons with the New England Patriots.
Following his championship CFL success, Flutie finally made the NFL impact he had yearned for when he played for the Buffalo Bills in 1998. Flutie was named the league’s Comeback Player of the Year as he threw for over 2700 yards and 20 Td’s. Flutie finished his career with tours in San Diego and New
England and retired after the 2005 season.
What a “Famous” Week for Doug Flutie
1984 Heisman Winner Elected to Two Halls in one-Week.
Canadian Sports Hall of Fame
Doug Flutie gained recognition for his successful career in 2007 when he was elected
into two hall of fames in the same week! 
On May 8, 2007, Doug Flutie
was elected to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, becoming the first non-Canadian inductee. A recent rule change admitting non-Canadians who have
contributed to Canadian sport allowed the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner, to enter the Hall.
“I’ve always felt a very warm affection for the people of Canada and the CFL and I always felt that was reciprocated,
” he said. “To be the first non-Canadian is
extra special. It was a big, big part of my life in Canada. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The former Boston College star struggled for playing time with Chicago and New
England in the NFL, where his short stature and sprint-out style were
considered drawbacks. Flutie found his game in the wide-open CFL and returned to the NFL with Buffalo in 1998, when the American game began to
welcome mobile quarterbacks. “The NFL adapted and that allowed me to go back,” he said. “With all the blitzing, the stationary quarterback became a target.”
College Football Hall of Fame
On May 9, 2007, Doug Flutie was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. It was his first year of eligibility. Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie and broadcaster Ahmad Rashad, a former All-American at the University of Oregon, were among 13 people elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. This is very special to me,” Flutie said during a news conference in New York. “It’s my whole life of being the little guy, having a chip on my shoulder and trying to
prove myself. At the end of the day, to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame is a very special honor.”