Mike Flynt

Last updated

Mike Flynt is American former college football player who played linebacker for NCAA Division III Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas and wore the number 49. [1] Flynt was a strength coach by trade and was a strength coach at Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas A&M. He is the inventor of the Powerbase Fitness exercise equipment. Clients for the Powerbase system include school systems and the military. [2]

Contents

Early career

In 1965, he was on the first state championship team at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, [3] the high school featured in Friday Night Lights . [2] Flynt, as an All-District player for Permian High School, was offered several full football scholarships at places like the University of Houston and Sul Ross State University. However, he initially attended Ranger Junior College for one semester instead.

He later attended Sul Ross State in 1969, which was a member of the NAIA. The athletic highlight of Flynt's two years at Sul Ross was participating in a victory against Texas A&I, which went on to win the 1969 NAIA Football National Championship, with its only loss being to Sul Ross. [2] Flynt had been a team captain, All-Conference Linebacker and the leading tackler on the Sul Ross team as a junior.

At the start of his senior year in 1971, Flynt was involved in a fist fight with a freshman teammate, the last of several fights he got into on campus. School officials decided to expel Flynt. He only needed six hours to graduate, and he earned his degree from Sul Ross State by taking his remaining classes elsewhere. [2] At a reunion of former Sul Ross students from the 1960s and '70s Flynt told a former roommate that losing his senior year at Sul Ross was the greatest regret in his life. The roommate suggested he make a comeback. Flynt accepted the challenge and ended up walking on at Sul Ross as a linebacker, making the team and becoming the oldest college linebacker in NCAA history. [2]

Division III football

Flynt sold his house in Franklin, Tennessee and moved temporarily to Alpine, Texas.

When Flynt went back to play, his youngest child was a freshman at the University of Tennessee. Two of his children were older than any of his teammates. [2]

Flynt was eight years older than his own coach, Steve Wright. [4] One of his original college coaches, Jerry Larned, counselled him at the start of his comeback. [2] Despite the fact that he was over 35 years older than his teammates, Flynt, a career strength and conditioning coach, told Sports Illustrated that he could still do some things in the weight room that the other players could not. [4] Flynt said he could still do 25 consecutive pull-ups and won a bench press competition with a 45 lb plate at the beginning of the 2007 season.

He missed the first two games of the 2007 season with a pinched nerve which turned out to be two bulging discs in his neck.

When he made his debut on October 13, 2007, Flynt was believed to be the second-oldest college football player ever. [5] Older players such as Tom Thompson have also since surpassed Flynt in age.

Film and Video

"The Senior," a 2023 film directed by Rod Lurie and starring Michael Chiklis as Mike Flynt, premiered at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on November, 9, 2023. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lone Star Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sul Ross State University</span> Public university in Alpine, Texas

Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is a public university in Alpine, Texas. The main campus is the primary institution of higher education serving the nineteen-county Big Bend region of far West Texas. Branch campuses, branded as Rio Grande College, are located in Del Rio, Uvalde, Eagle Pass, and Castroville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Williams (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1981)

Roy Eugene Williams Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, earning second-team All-American honors in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Martin</span> American football player and professional wrestler (1950–2001)

Harvey Banks Martin was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 until 1983. He starred at South Oak Cliff High School and East Texas State University, before becoming an All-Pro with the Cowboys.

Permian High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is one of three high schools in the Ector County Independent School District. It was the subject of the book Friday Night Lights, which in turn inspired a movie and TV series of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Harris</span> American football player (born 1948)

Clifford Allen Harris is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Super Bowls and was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls. Harris retired from football at 31 to focus on his work within the oil business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Cushing</span> American football player and coach (born 1987)

Brian Patrick Cushing is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, and was selected by the Texans in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played his entire nine-year career with Houston from 2009 to 2017 and became the team's all-time leading tackler.

Johnny Ray Holland is an American professional football coach and former player who is the linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Holland played in the NFL as a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1987 to 1993. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Adibi</span> American football player and coach (born 1984)

Xavier Oyekola Adibi is an American football coach and former player. He is a defensive analyst at Virginia Tech, and was previously the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University–Commerce. He played college football at Virginia Tech. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played professionally as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Texans (2008–2010), Minnesota Vikings (2011), Chicago Bears (2012), and Tennessee Titans (2012). He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sam Cvijanovich is a former linebacker in the Canadian Football League. Cvijanovich was a notable player for the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen during the 1971 NAIA Division II Football National Championship. He has been named “the hardest hitter I’ve ever coached” by head coach Bob Shoup. Nicknamed "Jawbone", Cvijanovich was six foot and 205 lbs. He was later named NAIA District III Player of the Year in both his junior and senior years at Cal Lutheran. He was later drafted to the Canadian Football League after his collegiate career and was selected as the CFL Rookie of the Year in 1974 as a middle linebacker with the Toronto Argonauts. He set a record for interceptions by a linebacker as a rookie and played three seasons for Toronto before being traded to Vancouver. He ended his 1977 season and retired due to foot injuries.

<i>Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream</i> 1990 book by Buzz Bissinger

Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream is a 1990 non-fiction book written by H. G. Bissinger. The book follows the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas, as they made a run towards the Texas state championship. While originally intended to be a Hoosiers-type chronicle of high school sports holding together a small town, the book ended up being critical of life in the town of Odessa. It was later adapted into a short-lived 1993 television series, a 2004 feature film, and a second 2006–11 television series.

Paul Edward "Red" Pierce was an American football player and coach. He served two stints as head football coach at Sul Ross State University, from 1946 to 1951 and again from to 1976 to 1977, and one stint at Sam Houston State University, from 1952 to 1967, amassing a career college football record of 143–81–9. His 1964 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team shared the NAIA Football National Championship after tying the Concordia Cobbers in the title game.

Greg Briggs is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the Frankfurt Galaxy in Frankfurt Galaxy the World League of American Football (WLAF). He first enrolled at Copiah-Lincoln Community College before transferring to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Texas Southern University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colby Carthel</span> American football player and coach (born 1976)

Colby Don Carthel is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, a position he has held since December 2018. Carthel served as the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2013 to 2018, leading the 2017 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team to a NCAA Division II Football Championship title. Prior to his time as head coach, he was the defensive coordinator under his father, Don Carthel, at West Texas A&M University, from 2006 to 2012. Carthel played football at Angelo State University, where he was an all-conference linebacker.

Marvin Pope is a former American football and Canadian football linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Calgary Stampeders. He played college football at Central State University.

The 1972 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University in the 1972 NAIA Division I football season. They were led by head coach Ernest Hawkins, who was in his ninth season at East Texas State. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference. The Lions won the Lone Star Conference, the NAIA District IV, and the NAIA Division I National Championship.

The 1969 Texas A&I Javelinas football team was an American football team that represented the Texas College of Arts and Industries as a member of the Lone Star Conference during the 1969 NAIA football season. In its 16th year under head coach Gil Steinke, the team compiled an 11–1 record, tied for the Lone Star Conference championship, and defeated Concordia–Moorhead in the Champion Bowl to win the NAIA national championship. The team's only setback was a loss to Sul Ross.

The 1964 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team was an American football team that represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1964 NAIA football season. In their 13th year under head coach Paul Pierce, the Bearkats compiled a 9–1–1 record, won the Lone Star Conference championship, and tied Concordia (Minnesota) in the Champion Bowl to share the NAIA national championship. The team's only loss was to Sul Ross.

The 1973 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Abilene Christian College (ACC) during the 1973 NAIA Division I football season. In their sixth season under head coach Wally Bullington, and their first season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), the Wildcats compiled an 11–1 record, won the LSC championship, and outscored all opponents by a total of 466 to 206. They advanced to the NAIA playoff, defeating Langston (34–6) in the semifinals and Elon (42–14) in the Champion Bowl to win the 1973 NAIA Division I football national championship.

The Senior is a 2023 American sports drama film directed by Rod Lurie, written by Bob Eisele, and starring Michael Chiklis as Mike Flynt. It is based on the true story of Flynt, who, at age 59, became a college football linebacker.

References

  1. ↑ https://srlobos.com/news/2022/8/16/general-film-about-former-sul-ross-state-football-player-set-to-come-out-in-late-fall.aspx
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "59-year-old rejoins college football". therecord.com. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  3. ↑ https://www.texasfootball.com/hof-uil-state-champs/
  4. 1 2 Sports Illustrated, September 24, 2007, p. 34
  5. ↑ "59-year-old Texan returns to gridiron in D-III". ESPN.com . ESPN. Associated Press. 14 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  6. ↑ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-senior-review-michael-chiklis-rod-lurie-1235645508/
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.