DOUG FLUTIE

My biggest frustration with the Heisman is it's become the MVP of the national champion, or a team going to the National Championship game. That's what it's turned into. If you're not undefeated, you're out of the running.

But I'll tell you this: When I lose my athleticism, it's time to go.

My daughter just graduated college and she's a dance major. She's done a couple of dance videos already and won Miss Massachusetts a couple of weeks ago. She's going out for Miss United States the second week of July, out in Las Vegas. She will probably wind up going to New York and trying the Broadway thing.

The public doesn't care about my size. It's just something for the media to talk about.

Football is my profession now. I'm getting married in August... It's a new experience for me as someone just getting out of college. I still have the same attitude about football I always had. I play hard. I enjoy practice. I'd rather be throwing in passing drills than sitting around and watching TV.

Hey, I'm just looking for an excuse to retire so I can play summer league baseball, go coach my nephews, play pickup basketball. I've always had that ability to move on to the next thing.

It's nice to have a situation where you can make it fun.

I think the only time I doubted myself was my senior year in high school. I was not offered a Division I scholarship. I remember a scout from Ohio State coming in and looking at my film. He was all excited to meet me. Then he met me and I was 5'10" and he said that I was not a Division I quarterback.

The biggest issue about the height factor is the bias that the NFL has about it.

It's my whole life of being the little guy and having a little chip on my shoulder, from year to year trying to prove myself, and at the end of the day to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame is a very special honor for me.

When I go back to NFL functions today, I feel a bit on the outside looking in. I played 13 years in the NFL, and I loved it - made a Pro Bowl and went to the playoffs - but I always felt like I was having to knock the door down to get in.

I live for the Red Sox. I thoroughly enjoy them. For whatever reason, baseball has been a lot more fun for me in recent years. I loosely follow the Patriots and I root for them. I loosely follow the Celtics and then it gets to playoff time and I don't miss a game. Same with the Bruins. I'm not the diehard fan anymore.

My favorite song to play is 'Smokin' by Boston. I actually had a chance to play that with the band Boston live.

Any game is important to me. At Boston College, when I went out for the spring games, I wanted to win. Maybe it is more important than other preseason games. It's just that everyone is expecting a lot from me in my first week of professional football. I want to confirm my expectations.

My daughter is very strong-willed and is a great kid. She doesn't drink. She doesn't smoke. She doesn't fold to peer pressure. I think how affectionate my wife and I have been with her over the years all plays into that. She realizes the more people she is exposed to that kids who have both parents around grow up to be much better people.

The trouble is that right now I want to put as much work into football as I can. It's very important for me to get off to a good start. By the same token, I feel a responsibility to handle the media and those sort of things.

A guy that's undersized has to prove himself right away.

My first two years in the CFL, all I thought of was getting back to the NFL - it was like 'I'll put my time in up here and go back.' Then I went and signed a nice contract in Calgary and was like, 'Hey, I can make a living up here, this is great football, and I'm having a blast.'

That's the way I like it because there's no time to have nerves about it. You just run out and do it.

The Flutie Bowl is a great event that brings together people who really care about the autism community. We always have a great time bowling and playing music.

The day I retire is the day I'll feel old. I'm not there yet.

I was very close to playing at an Ivy League School. The Division I schools, when a coach would come visit all he would talk about was my size.

The more chances you get, the more comfortable you feel. I?m ready to go out there if something happens. I?ll feel comfortable if I am ever called on.

All of those guys who told me that I was too short and how complicated the game was, it is not that complicated. It is the same game I have always played.