Boston College Athletics
Flynn, Flutie Inducted to ECAC Hall
April 21, 2015 | Boston College Athletics
William J. Flynn and Doug Flutie were among the 25 members selected for the conference's first-ever hall of fame class.
Flynn is a towering figure in Boston College Athletics history. During his 33-year tenure as athletics director, BC reached the highest levels of intercollegiate athletic competition. Under Flynn's leadership, Boston College expanded its varsity sports programs and constructed most of its major athletic facilities. Flynn played a key role in establishing the University's commitment to balancing academic and athletic excellence, and earned national recognition as president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
By the end of Flynn's first decade as athletic director, Boston College had added an indoor hockey rink, a basketball arena and a new baseball field.
In 1979, he became only the second athletic director to be voted president of the NCAA, where he served on the executive council and television committee. The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame selected him as the 1984 Distinguished American Award winner, while the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) presented him with its prestigious James J. Corbett Award.
Flynn was instrumental, along with Scotty Whitelaw, in the Eastern College Athletic Conference's move of its headquarters from New York City to Cape Cod in the early 1970s. He also served as president of the ECAC in 1973, and in 1991 was honored with the ECAC James Lynah Award. He was named ECAC Male Administrator of the year in 1992.
Flynn was a life-long Eagle. In addition to his administrative duties, Flynn was a stand-out three-sport athlete at Boston College, earning nine varsity letters. He captained the football team and was the first BC hockey player to score 20 goals in a season.
Flutie was the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner after leading the football team to new heights from 1981 to 1984. Upon his graduation, Flutie was the NCAA's all-time passing yardage leader with 10,579 career yards.
He was a three-time ECAC Division I Player of the Year and the most celebrated collegiate student-athlete in New England history. He earned the starting job as a freshman and never missed a game in his four-year career.
As a sophomore in 1982, Flutie threw for 2,749 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to claiming his first conference player of the year award while leading the Eagles to a 8-3-1 record that season and their first bowl appearance since 1943.
In Flutie's senior season, his now-famous "Hail Mary" throw to defeat the Miami Hurricanes capped a record-setting season and launched him to the 1984 Heisman Trophy one week later. He also won the Maxwell Award (outstanding player) and Davey O'Brien Award (top quarterback) that season. Under Flutie, the Eagles went to three bowls: the 1982 Tangerine Bow, the 1983 Liberty Bowl and the 1995 Cotton Bowl.
In addition to his athletic achievements in Chestnut Hill, Flutie flourished in the classroom. As a senior, he was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
After graduation, he played 22 years of professional football and was elected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (2007).
The ECAC Hall of Fame recognizes a diverse representation of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, teams, officials, support staff and supporters from across decades. Honorees are selected for outstanding achievements, service, dedication, commitment and contributions to ECAC sponsored sports, programs and events. In order to be considered for the ECAC Hall of Fame, nominees must meet certain criteria.
