DougFlutie7.com

In any sport, playing past the age of 40 is a pretty impressive feat. The body of an athlete may-for the most party, at least-be in better shape than that of someone who is less active, but the wear and tear of sports increases the age/feel of bones and joints by at least 5-10 years. Football, hockey, soccer, tennis, and basketball are most notable for retiring at, what we would consider, an early age. Baseball, on the other hand, can be (aside from catching and pitching) a little easier on the body, and provide the athlete with a longer playing span.

I have compiled a list-in no particular order-of thirteen athletes who have played past the expected age of retirement. There will be quite a few baseball players on here, because: A.) I have played baseball all my life, and I remember more names, and B.) because of what I mentioned up above about baseball not taking as big of a toll on the body.

Remember, these are athletes that I know, and unfortunately some who should be on this list, won’t be. If there is someone you feel I forgot, mention it in the comments, and maybe, just maybe, I will include your suggestion/request.

1. Omar Vizquel – He is 43 years of age, and is still playing like he is 25. He has played pivotal roles on numerous teams, and has always been a great teammate.

2. Nolan Ryan – Lasting more than 15 years as a power pitcher is impressive. Nolan was a power pitcher who threw for 27 seasons-and could probably still touch 90 in this current day. We can’t forget his 7 no hitters throughout his career either.

3. Shaquille O’Neal – Like a power pitcher lasting more than 15 years, a big man (at least 7’0?) in the NBA may only last for 8-13 seasons. Shaq-although he has had some injuries-is still going strong in his eighteenth season.

4. Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus – He is the oldest to ever win a Master’s Tournament (46), and continued to play on the Senior Tour through 2005. Tiger has nothing on old Jack.

5. Julio Franco – Unless you know baseball, you may have never heard of Julio. He made his MLB debut back in 1982, and continued to play until 2007. He had some of his best statistical years while in his 40′s, and has always been a classy person/player.

6. Satchel Paige – He pitched in the Negro leagues from about 1926-1947. He became an MLB rookie at the age of 42 (1948) and played for about another 17 years, making his last appearances in 1965.

7. Martina Navratilova – She is probably the greatest woman’s tennis player in the history of the sport. She made her professional debut in 1975 and won 18 grand slam singles titles throughout her career. After 1994 she retired from full-time competition, but continued to play doubles, and periodic singles matches.

8. Jamie Moyer – He was never overpowering, but was always intelligent with his pitch selection and location. He made his MLB back in 1986 and is still pitching to this very day. It just goes to show you that velocity is not everything, instead it’s: location, location, location.

9. Gary Roberts – Hockey-in my mind-is one of, if not, the toughest sport to play. Gary made his NHL debut in 1986 and retired in 2009. He played in more than 1,000 games, won a Stanley Cup, and was a great role player throughout his career.

10. George Blanda – He made his NFL debut in 1949 with Bears. He had a lot of ups and downs with the team through 1958 and retired. He came back (this time to the AFL) in 1960 and rejuvenated his career. Go to his Wiki page to see how much shit he went through.

11. Lindsey Hunter – Coming out of Jackson State, Lindsey joined the NBA in 1993. He has always been and average, but reliable, point guard throughout his career. He “retired” (I use quotations because I secretly believe he is still on someone’s roster) in 2010.

12. Doug Flutie – He played in the NFL, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League. He is about 5 feet nothing, but has the freaking heart of a lion. He finished up his career in 2005 for the Patriots, but will always be remembered for his Hail Mary pass against Miami (FL) while play for Boston College.

13. Brett Favre – You didn’t think I was going to leave Brett off the list, did you? He debuted in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, but made his career with Green Bay Packers. He was always my favorite quarterback to watch growing up (Peyton Manning has taken that mantle over now), and still has a soft spot in my heart-even with his recent antics. He has retired, and come out of retirement, at least 10 times in the last 3 years (is that possible?); so I have given up on figuring out when his final game will be.

Doug Flutie was a gambler’s dream. Think about it. His team was always the underdog and yet he always came through in the clutch and covered the spread. From his Hail Mary pass in college to beat Miami to his scramble for a touchdown to beat Jacksonville in the pros, Flutie was a born winner. Sportsbooks hated this man, because whether they liked it or not, his teams were always getting points, yet they knew he would win the game;—somehow.

Even with this, when you think of Doug Flutie, you think of a short quarterback. You think of a little guy who was great for some trickery in close games, but not a player you would build a franchise around. You think of a player who was good enough to dominate Canada, but not the NFL. Why?

Atlanta QB Michael Vick was drafted number one overall in 2001 because of the amazing upside he possesses. Vick is a phenomenal athlete with speed, power, and the uncanny ability to throw the football up to 70 yards. Vick dazzled while playing his college ball at Virginia Tech and is a natural leader. These are simply intangibles you cannot teach, but can build a team and a franchise around.

So I beg to ask one question: what is the difference between Vick and Flutie? Less than two inches in height. Vick stands at 6’0?, with Flutie lagging just behind at 5’10?. Flutie has the cannon that Vick has and is also a great athlete who consistently makes plays with his legs. Flutie also dazzled in college while playing for Boston College, and he even won a Heisman Trophy in 1984. Even Vick can’t claim that award. When talking about leadership skills, no one will ever forget Flutie’s 48-yard Hail Mary pass that upset the Miami Hurricanes on November 23, 1984. One can even argue that Flutie has the edge on Vick when it comes to football smarts, and more importantly, accuracy. Vick has a career completion percentage of only 54.1 percent.

So if the two are so evenly matched, why was Flutie drafted 285th overall in 1985 while Vick was the first pick 16 years later? The answer is simple: Flutie was a man ahead of his time. In 1985, the mobile quarterback had no place in the NFL. Now this type of quarterback is the present and future of the game, and Flutie was one of the first prototypes. Flutie, the anti-Ryan Leaf, has no character flaws at all and if he were to come out of the draft now, he would be a first-day pick. The current coaches of this era would be drooling at the numerous ways they could utilize this athlete.

Now, after 21 professional seasons in football, Flutie called it quits on Monday. Flutie leaves behind a legacy of heart and determination, six player of the year awards in Canadian football, and of course, his Hail Mary pass that will live forever in college football lore. But, most of all, I believe he leaves behind the sad legacy of a player who was born in the wrong era and who was consistently underestimated.

Flutie made his resurgence in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 1998, voted the AP Comeback Player of the Year. In ‘98, Flutie threw for over 2700 yards and 20 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions. The very next year Flutie upped his numbers to over 3000 yards passing and was voted to the Pro Bowl. But alas, another stereotype would stand in the way of a fruitful career: his age. By the end of 1999, Flutie was 37 years old and the Bills did not want to build a team around an old-timer. It was just too late. Two years later, Flutie would sign with the Chargers, only to give the job up to another young quarterback: Drew Brees.

Flutie’s potential was there for all to see. You don’t just make the Pro Bowl if you’re not a great talent. Again, timing ruined what could have been a Hall of Fame career. Flutie just needed the breakthroughs of players like Kordell Stewart, Atwaan Randle El, and of course, Vick, to set the stage. Kordell started the trend way back in 1995 when he came in as ‘slash.’ Pittsburgh coach Bill Cower tried to use the multi-talented QB in every way possible and ended up with great success. This opened the door for Vick to be the top pick in 2001 and Randle El to sign with the Redskins for $27 million. Imagine all the money Flutie could have made in this era, for himself and gamblers alike.

Well, you can’t change history and you certainly can’t pick the era in which you are born. This is the sad reality of Doug Flutie’s career and the careers of many others who did not make it at the professional level. But what you can do is realize something. When you think of Michael Vick as the one player who changed the way we view what a quarterback can do, think again. There is one innovator who came before Vick, before Kordell, before Randle El, and even before Vince Young. This innovator was Doug Flutie.

With the Heisman Trophy, and 21 years of professional football under his belt Doug Flutie has decided to call it a career. The lack of size has not marred the eight years of CFL, and the twelve years of NFL experience that Flutie has amassed.

The last team that Flutie has played for, albeit the fact that it was only five games was the New England Patriots. It was from this very camp, that the news of his retirement was announced. At 43 years of age, this quarterback has seen his share of workload. With 14,715 passing yards, and 86 touchdown passes in the NFL combined with the three Grey Cups and six times voted as the CFL’s most outstanding player Flutie has a name that is surely carved in stone.

It was Flutie that converted the NFL’s first drop kick for an extra point since the last attempt in 1941 during an NFL title game. All the while attempting a mere 10 passes and remaining a backup quarterback. This play was probably his last, and was against the Miami Dolphins. Flutie feels that if that was his final play in professional football, that it is not such a horrible thing. Most experts would easily agree to this.

Do not mistake retirement as a loss of passion for the sport of football for Flutie; he is in the works with many networks on the possibility of broadcast. He as many professional athletes know, it is very hard to stay healthy at the age of 43. Many teams easily overlook or bypass an athlete of this age for youth. Flutie has lead a storied career, one that will not soon be forgotten. He will be remembered as a fine athlete and someone that had a great passion for the sport of football.

It will be the fans that surely will loose, as he is still considered one of the most dynamic players to grace the sport. His presence on the field will most definitely be missed.

Doug Flutie first made a name for himself while playing football at Boston College. His hail mary pass to beat the University of Miami is still one of the most remembered plays in college football history. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy that year as the nation’s best college football player.

Flutie was always known as a good running quarterback. This is true in college, the USFL, his first stint in the NFL, the Canadian Football League, and his last years in the NFL too. He had the ability to beat the other team with both his arms and his legs. Many times his scrambling ability allowed him to avoid the rush, extend the play, and hit a receiver who may have been covered earlier but had broken free. Other times his scrambling ability allowed him to take off with the ball and gain serious yardage, sometimes even touchdowns.

Doug Flutie had a long career, playing into his early 40′s. Because of time spent in different leagues and as a backup at times, his career numbers do not rank him as high as a number of other quarterbacks who played during his era. There are a few statistical categories where he is at the top, and one of them involves rushing touchdowns.

Doug Flutie has rushed for more touchdowns, a total of four, after the age of 40 than any other player in NFL history. He even holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in one game by a player in their 40′s when he ran for two in a win over the Minnesota Vikings in 2003 at the age of 41.

Doug Flutie isn’t always mentioned in the same breath as some of the great quarterbacks who played the game, but he had talent, showmanship, smarts, and a lot of ability. This combined with surprising durability allowed him to play the game for a long time and be a part of many important and interesting moments in football history.