Doug Flutie Throws "Hail Mary" Pass
On this day in 1984, Doug Flutie threw a last-second "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in the end zone, giving Boston College a 47-45 win over the University of Miami. Considered too short and without a strong enough arm to play quarterback, the 5'10" Natick resident became one of the gutsiest players in football. Running away from defenders, buying time for receivers, he threw a Boston College single-year record of 3,454 yards and 27 touchdowns. Passing for over 57,000 yards in his pro career, he won three Grey Cups in the Canadian Football League and led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs in 1998. As legendary coach John Madden said, "Inch for inch, Flutie in his prime was the best quarterback of his generation."
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