Event Date: May 2nd, 1985
Event Description: Rams Draft Flutie
Source: UPI
Wedged among the obscure and unknown of the NFL's 11th round is a strikingly famous name: Doug Flutie.
The 1984 Heisman Trophy winner was the 285th player picked in Tuesday's draft. Currently the New Jersey Generals quarterback of the financially troubled USFL, Flutie was bypassed until the Los Angeles Rams made him the No. 5 choice of the draft's next-to-last round.
Dick Steinberg, New England Patriots director of player development, had watched Flutie many times during his record-setting career at Boston College, less than 40 miles from the Patriots stadium.
“I was surprised he went so late,” Steinberg said. “We talked a long time about it, but we have total confidence in our quarterbacks (Tony Eason and Steve Grogan.) Also, we think our eighth-round pick, Milford Hodge (a defensive tackle from Washington State) can play and help us. And we didn't have any picks in the fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth or 10th rounds.”
Steinberg said that some NFL teams do not think the 5-foot-9 3/4 Flutie can play in the league, “but we are not one of those, we think he will be able to play well. Also, Flutie doesn't fit some teams offensive systems, like San Diego, for example. And, I think teams just kept finding players they thought would help them and it wasn't until the 11th that the right combination fell, and someone took him.”
The Patriots picked former Boston College receiver Gerard Phelan in the fourth round. Phelan was the recipient of the celebrated “Hail Flutie” pass in Miami.
Steinberg said that Flutie's personal-services contract with Generals owner Donald Trump might also have caused teams to back off.
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