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Forgotten NFL star and Heisman winner swapped football career for Dancing With The Stars and video games in retirement

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Michael Hansen

Published Aug 30, 2026

A FOOTBALL legend has been making the most of his retirement, swapping the gridiron for the dance floor and gaming.

Doug Flutie, 60, had an incredible NFL playing career that lasted two decades and spanned three professional leagues.

Flutie made 92 appearances in the NFL passing for 14,715 yards and 86 touchdowns

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Flutie made 92 appearances in the NFL passing for 14,715 yards and 86 touchdownsCredit: Getty
He finished ninth in Dancing With The Stars in 2016

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He finished ninth in Dancing With The Stars in 2016Credit: Getty

Originally from Manchester, Maryland, Flutie attended Boston College from 1981-1984.

Despite his lack of height for a quarterback, at just 5-foot-9, Flutie wound up dominating the college game with his unique blend of passing ability and rushing skills.

After finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2983, Flutie defied the offs once more, winning the esteemed honor his senior year.

That season he also won the Davey O'Brien Award for the country's best college quarterback.

Despite these honors, Flutie wasn't selected until the eleventh round in the NFL Draft in 1985.

However, the mid-1980s marked an era of change in pro football, with the USFL directly challenging the NFL.

This alternative league wasn't afraid to open their wallets to attract top-tier college talent - something that would attract the likes of Jim Kelly, Steve Young, and Herschel Walker.

In 1985, Flutie signed for former President Donald Trump's New Jersey Generals in a five-year deal worth around $7million, as per the Times-Union.

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Now the highest-paid rookie to date, Flutie spent one season in the league before it closed its doors in 1986.

He went on to make his NFL debut later that year for the Chicago Bears, subsequently being traded to the New England Patriots the following year.

In just over two years with the Pats, Flutie made seventeen appearances, starting thirteen games, but it wasn't enough.

Released by New England in 1989, he went on to become a Canadian Football League standout, spending the next eight seasons with the BC Lions, the Calgary Stampeders, and the Toronto Argonauts, winning three Grey Cups, as many Cup game MVPs, and six CFL MVP Awards.

In 1998, Flutie returned to the NFL, this time signing with the Buffalo Bills, becoming a Pro Bowler his first season with the team.

He would go on to play for seven more seasons with the Bills, San Diego Chargers, and the Patriots, where he finished his career aged 43.

A stop-star career in broadcasting followed with spells for ESPN, ABC, and NBC.

Flutie's career took a very different direction in 2016 when he appeared on Dancing With The Stars, with the aim of raising awareness for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, as per ABC News.

He and Karina Smirnoff would eventually finish ninth overall.

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Three years later, he became the face of Doug Flutie's Maximum Football video game.

Unfortunately, the game seemingly didn't fare well, with Forbes commenting: "I wish this game was better so that it could be an option for college football gamers and for those looking for a game with the potential to ultimately become an alternative to Madden."

Flutie finished his career with the Patriots

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Flutie finished his career with the PatriotsCredit: Getty