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The College Football Hall of Fame announced its newest inductees today, and the two headline names have direct ties to the Buffalo Bills. Former quarterback Doug Flutie and wide receiver Ahmad Rashad will be joining the ranks of college immortality in the near future.
Doug Flutie was the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner and had a tremendous college career, throwing for over 10,000 yards and leading Boston College to a Cotton Bowl win in his time there. That's not to mention his famous Hail Mary completion to defeat the mighty Miami Hurricanes.
As an NFL quarterback, Flutie was a late bloomer after spending much of his pro career in the CFL. He spent three seasons - 1998, 1999 and 2000 - with the Bills, appearing in 39 games over that span. He was an above-average performer for the Bills, netting 7,582 yards, 47 touchdowns and 30 interceptions as a starter. He also rushed for 876 yards and three touchdowns in those years, and he was a starter in a 1998 playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins. Flutie left the franchise after losing his starting spot to Rob Johnson in one of the worst personnel decisions in team history.
Ahmad Rashad was a star running back and receiver at the University of Oregon, where he garnered national media attention on a regular basis. He spent just one year in Buffalo (1974), appearing in 14 games and accumulating 36 receptions for 433 yards and 4 touchdowns in that year. He spent the majority of his pro career with the Minnesota Vikings and finished his career with 495 receptions, 6,831 yards and 44 touchdowns. He is now a predominant TV personality covering the NBA.
I can feel nothing but excitement for the induction of Flutie, who was an absolute fan-favorite in his time in Buffalo. He came in right at the start of Wade Phillips' tenure as head coach here and was able to keep this team alive as a playoff contender for three years before Johnson sunk that ship in the 2000 season. I will always remember "Flutie Flakes" tasting so much better than Frosted Flakes; that's the kind of excitement that Flutie brought to this area. After such a dominant career at BC, in the CFL and (finally) proving that he was an NFL-caliber QB, Flutie deserved an honor such as this. Congratulations, Doug!