FOXBORO, Mass. (April 29, 2005) -- Doug Flutie, who won a Heisman Trophy at Boston College and played for the Patriots during a well-traveled professional career, has signed a one-year deal to return to New England.
"I know that Doug is really happy to be home again and be at home with his family," the quarterback's agent, Kristen Kuliga told The Associated Press.
The Patriots confirmed after practice that the deal was done.
Flutie, 42, has played 11 NFL seasons, eight in the Canadian league and one in the USFL and was a fan favorite wherever he went. Although he still showed his trademark mobility even as he aged, the 5-foot-10 native of Natick, Mass., was frequently pigeonholed as a backup to taller, more traditional quarterbacks.
Flutie is expected to fill that role for two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.
Flutie has played for eight teams in three professional leagues during a 20-year career, but he is best remembered for one play in college: a desperation pass that beat Miami and helped him win the 1984 Heisman Trophy. He is still idolized on the Chestnut Hill campus, and the Heisman is the centerpiece of the school's new Hall of Fame.
After college, he went to the New Jersey Generals of the USFL and made his NFL debut with the Chicago Bears in 1986. He was with New England for parts of three season before an eight-year stint in the CFL, where he won the Most Outstanding Player six times and won three Grey Cup championships.
He returned to the NFL for three seasons with the Buffalo Bills and then went to San Diego, where he started 16 games in his first year and six in his next three.
Last season, he was 20-of-38 for 276 yards and a touchdown with the Chargers.
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