Doug Flutie Recalls His Playing Days, “Flutie Flakes,” And More

Former Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie has played in the USFL, CFL and NFL. Perhaps best known for his time with the Buffalo Bills from 1998-2000, he was the quarterback the last time the Bills made the playoffs in 1999.

“Really need to get this team rolling here and get back to the playoffs because these people just love their football, Flutie told Class Act Sports, when he was on hand at Jim Kelly’s Golf Outing in June.

The 26^th annual Celebrity Gala had all sorts of entertainment and golf and raised more than half a million dollars for “Hunter’s Hope” and “Kelly for Kids”, the two charities that Kelly started.

“It’s just fantastic that it has gone on as long as it has. It’s gotten bigger and stronger. It’s the most enjoyable round of golf in the history of the world. Even with this miserable weather, we are having a great time,” Flutie said.

Flutie retired from the NFL in 2005, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He also won three championships in the CFL, but said he wasn’t sure why so many players looked up to him.

“I never saw myself as a leader. I was just playing and trying to survive in the NFL and it’s all in how you are viewed by the others around you,” Flutie said.

Flutie’s son, Doug Jr. was diagnosed with Autism, which prompted him to create the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.

“We have our own foundation back home and we’ve been doing it for 13 years and actually Jim was the motivation for our foundation. When I was signing with Buffalo, my son had just been diagnosed with Autism. I saw Jim and how he had started up his foundation, gave me the idea to do ours. He helped me out a little bit, and we were up and running, so it’s always great to be involved and give back,” Flutie told Class Act Sports.

The infamous “Flutie Flakes” cereal was created with proceeds going to the charity, and it took on a mind of it’s own, as Flutie recalls.

“It was surreal. We had done that endorsement deal before I had signed with Buffalo. Over the summer, the product came out late, so it was like week 3 or 4 into the season. And it just so happened to time up when I became the starting quarterback and started playing and people got fired up. The perfect storm all came together,” he said.

While Flutie always helps out at events like this, he prefers ones that are laid back as opposed to fancy.

“The bottom line is I will NOT do the chicken dinner, black tie events. I hate getting dressed up and I can’t stand there listening to people talk. We do a golf tournament, we do a road race a 5K, a bowling tournament and a basketball tournament. I am just a big kid playing in my own events having fun and we have had a great response,” Flutie told Class Act Sports.