Greatest college football player born in each state
There was a time when it was very rare for quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy. In fact, when Boston College’s Doug Flutie won the award in 1984, it was the first time that a QB won the Heisman in 13 years, but Flutie put together an incredible season as a senior by passing for 3,634 yards and throwing 30 touchdowns with 13 interceptions to take home the hardware.
The 5-foot-9 signal caller was also an elusive scrambler, and in a time when running quarterbacks were rare, Flutie gained 379 yards on the ground with three rushing touchdowns.
BC finished the 1984 season 10-2. Flutie was a big reason for that success, and his “Hail Flutie” pass at the end of a 47-45 victory over Miami at the Orange Bowl is still considered one of the greatest plays in college football history. That win helped the Eagles secure a spot in the Cotton Bowl, where BC beat Houston 45-28, and it also helped Flutie win the Heisman Trophy in addition to the Davey O’Brien Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He was also named a consensus All-American.
But Flutie was no one-year wonder. With 2,724 passing yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, the Manchester, Maryland native finished third in the voting for the Heisman in 1983 behind Nebraska’s Mike Rozier and BYU’s Steve Young.
Other Notable College Football Players Born in Maryland:
- Antonio Freeman, WR, Virginia Tech
- E.J. Henderson, LB, Maryland
- Calvin Hill, RB, Yale
- Shawne Merriman, LB, Maryland
- Keith Sims, OL, Iowa State
- Donell Woolford, DB, Clemson
Next: Massachusetts