The Doug Flutie Interview: EA Sports, BC Football, and More

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Several days ago, the editor and associate editor of Soaring to Glory, Joe and Kyle, had the distinct honor and privilege of interviewing Doug Flutie. To those on Chestnut Hill, the former Heisman Trophy winner and all-time Eagle great needs no introduction, but to those of non-maroon and gold persuasions, Flutie is still a highly recognizable name and one of the good guys of football.

Flutie was doing the media rounds for EA Sports, as he is currently featured in their NCAA Football 14 game as one of the elite players in college football history. We asked him about the video game and the state of the current Boston College Eagles football team, and got some interesting opinions and information along the way.

Doug Flutie on EA Sports NCAA Football 14

Joe: First, let’s talk about the game in which you’re featured. As part of the EA Sports NCAA Football 14 Ultimate Team mode, college football gamers anywhere can pick you to be their quarterback on a who’s-who, all-time fantasy team. How does it feel to be part of the game, and to be considered one of the college football greats?

Flutie: It’s great. It’s been — what is it — almost 30 years since I played college football, and here’s a game, NCAA 14, that has me on it; that the young kids are going to play. Now, it’s got the Heisman Challenge mode and Ultimate Team mode so that they can select you specifically and play the game as you. That’s pretty cool to me.

I love wearing the maroon and gold, but that fact that they can put me on another team and have Barry Sanders, Bo Jackson, and Herschel Walker in the backfield — that’s a pretty good team! That’s the big thrill for me, to be still relevant in a video game this many years later.

Of the other aspects of the game that are really cool, the number one is offenses. Whether a team runs a pro style, single back, spread offenses, zone read, you name it, [the game] is compatible to what that team runs when you step into its uniform.

Kyle: What do you think being a part of this game says about you to the new generation of college football fans, many of whom have never seen Doug Flutie play? We touched on this before, that it’s been 30 years.

Flutie: That’s part of the aspect that you kind of get excited about from my standpoint. The fact that younger kids who have never seen me play — maybe they heard about the Hail Mary pass and that’s it — now have this mode where they can play the game as you. The other thing that’s kept that alive, I’ve always said, is the internet, with YouTube videos. Now you have parents who actually watched you play and their young kids go up to them and say “who the heck is that?” Then two seconds later, they turn on their phone, watch a video, and then they’re asking for your autograph.

Now the younger kids will play these modes and learn about the tradition of the game and the legacy of the game. They’ll understand when everybody talks about Doug Flutie, Bo Jackson and “Bo knows,” and all those other years that they never saw.

Joe: Now, let’s say you were on your gaming console at home and you wanted to put together your own team. With yourself as quarterback, who are some of the players you’d select for your team?

Flutie: Well, see, my first conflict is that I need Gerard Phelan at wide receiver and I need Troy Stradford at tailback, but if I put Troy Stradford at tailback, there’s no Barry Sanders, Bo Jackson, or Herschel Walker. So, I think I’d have to go with Barry. I’d go with him because he was a lot more versatile than Bo was.

Then, I don’t care where you go from there, but see, the thing with Jackson is that I’d need a guy I can throw screens to so that I can rack up the passing yards without having to hand the ball off.

Kyle: Again, since we’re speaking about you being part of the college football elite, who are some players that you couldn’t face on the field that you might have liked to? Anyone from the current college game?

Flutie: You know, I just marvel at the talent levels right now. Looking at defensive guys, I don’t want to get on the field with Jadeveon Clowney. See, these guys are so much bigger, faster, stronger — yeah, I’ll play him in the video game and face off against him there.

I’ve said it to death each week watching college football and I marvel at the pure athleticism that is in the game now. I’d like to think we were pretty athletic, but it’s on a whole other level now. I look at Johnny Manziel — he is a taller, faster, stronger version of me. All the little instinctive things he does I think are very similar to what I did, but he takes it to a whole other level. He can break the 80-yard run for a touchdown.

Maybe I’ll like playing the video game because I’m 22 years old again and I can run!

The Doug Flutie interview continues on page 2, as Flutie answers a few questions on the present Boston College Eagles football team