Almost every sports fan over the age of 30 remembers Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Doug Flutie. A native of Natick, Massachusetts, the 5-9, 180 pound Flutie came to Boston College as a wide receiver and, in his freshman year of 1981, was listed on the fourth string. But during that year, a number of injuries decimated all of the quarterbacks on the roster and Flutie became the BC signal caller. The rest is history. He won the Heisman in 1984 and then played in both the CFL and NFL for over 20 years.
Flutie is the epitome of what Jaime Hill, the defensive coordinator at Portland State, calls the “Next Man Up”. That is, a non-starter being able to step-in and not just take over for another player but perform and execute well. Hill preaches this philosophy to all his players - that every role is critical and each player must be ready at any time. It’s an opportunity for all players to succeed and contribute to the team whether the player is a walk-on, first year player, or the third string safety. Hill’s expectation is that when a player is called upon, he will not be overwhelmed by the moment.
Coach Hill discusses this philosophy in this issue of GS. He details two other college and professional players that have succeeded as the “Next Man Up”. One is Troy Brown, the former wide receiver for the New England Patriots, who played for 15 years in the NFL. Brown was a back-up player at Lees-McRae Junior College who didn’t even travel with the team for road games. He finally got his chance and received a scholarship to Marshall University.
In 1991, Brown was the Division I-AA leader in kickoff and punt return average and his career kickoff return average of 29.7 yards is still a record. While primarily a wide receiver with the Patriots, Brown also played defensive back, played on special teams and even took snaps at quarterback. He was a member of three Super Bowl champions.
Another “Next Man Up” is former Maryland and Buffalo Bills Quarterback Frank Reich. Hurt for much of his senior year in college, Reich came in against undefeated Miami and helped engineer one of the greatest comebacks in college history. Down 31-0 at half, Reich rallied Maryland to a 42-40 upset win over the Hurricanes.
It happened again when Reich played for the Bills. A back-up to Jim Kelly for most of his Bills career, Reich started a playoff game for the injured Kelly against the Houston Oilers. Down 35-3 at one point, Reich led Buffalo to an incredible 41-38 overtime win. No other team in NFL history had ever won after being behind by 32 points.
Both players clearly succeeded as the “Next Man Up.”
We hope you enjoy this issue of GS and welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
Rex Lardner
Managing Editor