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Flutie statue unveiled

Posted by Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff November 7, 2008 03:26 PM

For an instant, time was frozen again, dating back 24 years to a November day when Doug Flutie was still just a kid from Natick and Boston College.

Doug Flutie stands next to his statue at Boston College on Friday."I was just having fun,'' he said this afternoon outside of Alumni Stadium at the unveiling of a life-sized statue commemorating his legendary Hail Mary pass to beat Miami on Nov. 23, 1984.

For Flutie and his teammates and friends, today was a reunion as they gathered before a crowd of couple of hundred fans who watched a highlight video of his career.

"It's like a family reunion for all of us,'' said Flutie. "Boston College is such a big part of my life and it always has been.''

So on a warm, breezy November afternoon, as the BC band played again and the crowd cheered, Flutie, Gerard Phalen (who caught the game-winning TD pass), and assistant head coach Jack Bicknell Jr. (who snapped the ball on the play) all were able to step back in time and remember the moment which has become the benchmark for Eagles football.

"To me [the pass that beat Miami] was just a play,'' said then-coach Jack Bicknell Sr. "What I remember is the years, so many moments, so much fun.''

Flutie tried to put it into perspective.

"Just thinking about how much fun we had,'' he said. "These kids don't have any fun. They work their tails off. It's nowhere near as much fun.''

Regarding the statue, Flutie could only shake his head.

"I'm a little bit in awe,'' he said. "I've received a lot of honors, a lot of awards, but I was really anticipating today, being with people who care about each other for 30 years and then coming down and seeing the statue, to know you are going to be there and be part of the history of Boston College.

"My nephew (BC wide receiver Billy Flutie] is going to walk across campus and see that statue every day. I don't know how to describe it, but it's really cool.''

(Photo by Bill Greene, Globe Staff)

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12 comments so far...

  1. I wonder if this money could have been better spent on something else.

    Posted by homer November 7, 08 09:22 PM

  1. Such a great guy. Well-deserved. Like 8 years ago my folks were on a cruise that he was on and they said that they were impresssed with what a gracious celebrity he was, often playing basketball with the kids on the ship. The captain had made an announcement of certain times that he would be on deck for photos and autographs and asked that everyone not pester him outside of those times. Hopefully nobody did :).

    Posted by Ken November 7, 08 09:24 PM

  1. They need to move on ...

    Posted by andrea November 7, 08 09:52 PM

  1. Like it?? You paid for it.

    Posted by andrea November 7, 08 09:53 PM

  1. that is the biggest life sized statue i have ever seen...nice job Mark

    Posted by Dan Littlefield November 7, 08 10:37 PM

  1. Hail Flutie!

    Posted by Carlos November 7, 08 11:04 PM

  1. Mark - good stuff. Not sure who is responsible for the photo gallery but a few errors to report. 1. Flutie went to the USFL BEFORE he was drafted by the Rams (a big reason why he was drafted so low). 2. The late great Tim Russet is not a graduate of BC... his son is.

    Great work with College Football. I am always on the lookout for your articles.

    Posted by KevinO November 7, 08 11:17 PM

  1. Mark - good stuff. Not sure who is responsible for the photo gallery but a few errors to report. 1. Flutie went to the USFL BEFORE he was drafted by the Rams (a big reason why he was drafted so low). 2. The late great Tim Russet is not a graduate of BC... his son is.

    Great work with College Football. I am always on the lookout for your articles.

    Posted by KevinO November 7, 08 11:17 PM

  1. it was a lucky pass.

    Posted by Jay November 8, 08 12:10 AM

  1. Typically, I don't add comments to the thousands of Globe Sports Stories I am very privileged to read, however I'm compelled to check in here:
    Doug Flutie, Phelan, Cowboy Jack Bicknell et al were The Definition of a Championship Team long before we had the good fortune of our current run of success with the Sox, Pats and Celtics. I did live back there through the 80's Glory years but they don't compare what we enjoy now... The 1984 BC Football Team brought together the region and came within a whisker of winning the National Championship. The entire Team made plays all year long and in my opinion Doug Flutie stands shoulder to shoulder with Larry Bird ( figuratively ) as a Boston Sports Legend from that, or any other Boston Sports Era.

    Posted by P. F. Laguna Beach, Ca November 8, 08 01:49 AM

  1. I'm so over this guy and this stupid lucky completion...

    Posted by AC November 24, 08 09:19 PM

  1. Lucky? Maybe.
    Legendary? Yes/

    Posted by Dan from Buffalo December 16, 08 12:59 PM
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