59-year-old college football player

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Here's what's coming today:

• Why a 59-year-old man decided to play college football

• How surfing waves is changing lives in a small Rhode Island town

• The Rock’s emotional surprise for the most inspiring fighter in the UFC (be warned, you might shed a tear)

• And much more…

Let’s dive in, shall we?

In an episode of Seinfeld, George is presumed dead by his employers, the New York Yankees. George Steinbrenner calls to deliver the news to Mr. Costanza. Instead of grieving his son's "death," Mr. Costanza attacks Steinbrenner for trading which player in 1988?

• A) Jay Buhner

• B) Rickey Henderson

• C) Dave Righetti

• D) Darryl Strawberry

The answer is at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.

The 59-Year-Old College Football Player Who Stunned The Sports World

"I can't even recount the times that I cried over the loss...it became the greatest regret in my life."

It was his tenth incident in three years of college. And it ended something he'd regret for 37 years of his life.

Born in 1949 as the only son of a World War II veteran, Mike Flynt’s passion for sports came from his father.

During his time with the Permian Panthers (which you may recognize from Friday Night Lights), Flynt was part of the high school’s first state championship team and named a member of the All-District team.

To stay close to his high school girlfriend, Flynt attended Ranger Junior College for one semester before moving on to Division III Sul Ross State in 1969.

As a member of the Lobos, Flynt was named team captain as a junior and honored as an All-Conference Linebacker.

"Mike was instrumental in keeping that team together," said teammate Randy Wilson.

Unfortunately despite his success on the field, it was his actions off the field that led to his dismissal from the team and school.

After ten fights, including one with a freshman teammate, Flynt was expelled ahead of his senior season.

"I never stopped thinking about the loss of that senior year," Flynt remembers.

While he still completed his degree away from campus, his dream of finishing his college football career came to an unfortunate end.

Or so he thought.

Mike worked different jobs, including time as the strength and conditioning coach of Texas A&M. But the one thing that still ate away at him was his unfulfilled dream – his senior season of college football.

During his college reunion in 2007, Flynt and his former teammates reminisced about the old days. Mike admitted that getting kicked off the team was the biggest regret of his life.

He believed he still had what it took to compete.

"I think it was Satchel Paige who used to say, 'How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?' I'd be in my late 20s or early 30s because that's how I feel," Flynt said.

So, at the urging of his teammates' response of “Well, why don’t you?", he set a plan in motion.

At the age of 59, with the support of his wife and children, Mike Flynt sold his house in Franklin, Tennessee, and made the 1,152-mile trek to West Texas.

He returned to Sul Ross State with one year of eligibility left and took a shot at finishing the story he'd left 37 years earlier.

While he was still in relatively good shape from his years as a strength coach, Flynt knew he wasn’t quite in elite football shape.

Sure, he could do twenty-five pull-ups and bench more than some of his younger teammates. But that wasn’t the same as the smash-mouth contact that takes place on the gridiron.

Despite the naysayers and doubt from many, Mike Flynt joined the 2007 Lobos team as a walk-on linebacker.

Having been away from the field for so long, Flynt faced various physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

He scrapped through grueling practices, demanding workouts, and skepticism from not only the public but numerous teammates.

Yet despite it all, Flynt’s determination, leadership, and passion for the game found him a place in the locker room.

Then, on October 13th, 2007, wearing his familiar number 49 jersey, Flynt entered the game to an eruption of cheers.

In a 45-42 triple overtime victory against Texas Lutheran, Flynt – supported by his wife Eileen, their three kids, and his grandson – lined up for nine snaps, including the game-winning field goal.

At 59 years old, he'd defied all odds and expectations of a man his age.

"I received that forgiveness that I needed to overcome the greatest regret in my life," Flynt said.

"I knew that I couldn't go back and undo what had been done. But I felt that if I could do something positive for someone else, and substitute that for what I'd done wrong, it would help me heal and move on."

After hanging up his cleats for the final time, Flynt has used his story to become a motivational speaker. He tells his tale of perseverance, resiliency, and the willingness to pursue one’s dreams no matter how far-fetched they may be.

"If I helped anyone out by what I did, then it was all worth it."

*Big thanks to subscriber Roger P. for recommending Mike’s story!

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🤜 Down to just $7 in his bank account, Themba Gorimbo won his first UFC fight in May. Then he auctioned off his fight kit so he could build a water well back home in Zimbabwe. But his story just got even better with this emotional surprise from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. [ESPN MMA]

🏈 Mike Flynt isn’t even the oldest guy to step foot on the gridiron. Here are the wild stories behind the 10 oldest college football players of all time. [Joker Mag]

🥇 Need more ageless inspiration? This 74-year-old heart attack survivor just won a prestigious award at a track & field event. [CBS 6 Albany]

🏄‍♂️ “All he can do is smile from ear to ear because he’s so happy.” This Rhode Island nonprofit is breaking down barriers to surfing for children with disabilities. [PBS]

There is a 15-inch height difference between New York Liberty center Han Xu (6’11”) and her teammate Courtney Vandersloot (5’8”).

And while basketball is commonly seen as a game of height, there are a total of 60 players listed under 6 feet tall in the WNBA.

That’s more than 37% of the entire league!

If you can ball, you can ball. Plain and simple.

⭐ Trivia Answer:

A) Jay Buhner – The Yankees traded him for Ken Phelps, who was widely considered a bust in pinstripes. Meanwhile, Buhner became a steady power source for the great Mariner teams of the ‘90s.

Wanna submit a trivia question or fun fact for the next edition? Reply to this email.

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Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Til next time,
Tyler

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