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College football: Ranking the NFL careers of Heisman Trophy winners 1975-2005

By Nick Villano

Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Tim Brown the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Heisman House located outside Notre Dame Stadium before the Michigan Wolverines play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Tim Brown the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Heisman House located outside Notre Dame Stadium before the Michigan Wolverines play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Ranking NFL careers of Heisman winners: 13. Doug Flutie, QB, Boston College

Doug Flutie had one of the most interesting NFL careers for a certified star we’ve ever seen. A huge reason for his stardom is what he did in college. He is responsible for one of the greatest plays in college football history. Flutie’s Hail Mary against Miami with the game on the line to beat a major powerhouse will be played for as long as football exists. The Hurricanes’ defense let Gerard Phelan get behind them with Flutie standing 65 yards away from the endzone. He chucked it up, and the rest is history.

Flutie would go on to win the Heisman Trophy, although somehow that game didn’t even account into the voting. He was one of the most fun athletes to root for in college history. His small stature probably wouldn’t go over well in the NFL. However, Flutie was breaking the mold.

Flutie didn’t go until the 11th round of the draft to the Los Angeles Rams. That’s because he already signed to the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. Flutie’s career would get weird after that. After the USFL folded one year into his career, the Rams traded his rights to the Chicago Bears. He played less than two seasons with the Bears before he was traded to Boston to play for the Patriots, the same Boston where he made a name for himself with Boston College.

He ended up spending a few seasons in New England before going to the Canadian Football League. He figured out the pro game there and became a bigger star. In his second season in the CFL, Flutie threw for more than 6,600 yards. He would stay in the CFL for eight seasons, winning the Gray Cup (their version of the Lombardi Trophy) three times, and was a three-time MVP.

He went back to the NFL in 1998 when he signed with the Buffalo Bills. He was the starter there until they opted to try out Rob Johnson. Then, he went to the San Diego Chargers and finished his starting career there until a guy named Drew Brees took over. Flutie had a fun professional career, but evaluating it can be hard. It was rocky, to say the least, but he lasted until his early 40s. That has to count for something.

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