Doug Flutie, a former Buffalo Bills quarterback, will be named Legend of the Game for the team’s Sunday night game against the San Francisco 49ers.
“It’s exciting to get back in that stadium,” Flutie remarked. “It’s exciting to get a reaction from the fans and feel appreciated. It’s great. The fans were quite enthusiastic about the Legend of the Game’s return and interaction with them. It’s a pleasant feeling to be back up in Buffalo.”
He is excited to return to cheer on the Bills alongside Bills Mafia, which he describes as the NFL’s most devoted fan base.
“During that time, Dougie had just been diagnosed with autism, my wife was going back and forth to Boston a lot, and so I ate a lot of meals at Uncle Joe’s diner, and the people there were just like family to me,” Flutie recalls. “It was a really fun environment to play football in…” They were just so excited about making it back to the playoffs, so it was a fantastic experience.”
Flutie noted that he enjoys watching Josh Allen play quarterback.
“I love watching Josh Allen play,” Flutie added. “His competitiveness; he’s a huge guy, but he’s still athletic and moves, and he can sprint and throw, throwing the move. I’ve thoroughly liked watching Josh play. I had the opportunity to meet him the last time I was up there, and we discussed how he was really down to earth and easy to talk to, so I’ve been a fan ever since he arrived.”
Flutie joined with the Bills in the offseason of 1998, and he began the season as the backup quarterback until replacing an injured Rob Johnson and leading a fourth-quarter comeback against the Indianapolis Colts.
Flutie led the Bills to two postseason appearances and had a 22-9 record while at quarterback.
He made the Pro Bowl in 1998 and was named Comeback Player of the Year after winning 8 of 11 starts and led the Bills to the playoffs. After eight years in the Canadian Football League, Flutie said that playing in Buffalo was a significant step forward in his career.
“It was my second shot at the NFL, and validated all the things I believed that I could do,” Flutie told reporters afterwards. “The first year I returned was a watershed moment in my career. This was not simply a stop, but a significant aspect of my NFL career.
And then emotionally, the way the fans reacted, with the Flutie flakes and everything else, and selling, I’m not sure how many millions of boxes to generate funds for the foundation.”
Since retirement, Flutie has been highly involved with his foundation, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. He got the idea after meeting with Jim Kelly, and he wanted to do something in his son’s name, who was diagnosed with autism.
“The foundation has thrived,” Flutie explained. “Due to COVID-19, we have increased our virtual activities significantly. Our fundraising has increased dramatically in recent years. It just keeps moving forward.
In the communities, we have launched camps for children with autism, whether it is installing computers in their homes or providing adaptive toys or facilities for them to utilize. And our son Dougie’s name is on everything, and it will be his legacy, hopefully for years to come, but it’s stronger than ever and doing very well.”
Flutie will join the Bills Mafia in rooting for the Bills when they face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at 8:20 p.m.
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