59 Years Young, and Making Up for Lost Time
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Do you ever kick yourself for something you did -- or should have done -- years ago?
It's not unusual that Mike Flynt regrets something he did in 1971. What is unusual is how he remedied the situation nearly 37 years after the event in question.
Back then, Flynt was a linebacker at Sul Ross State University, a Division III school in nowhere, Texas. He got kicked off the team for getting in one fight too many, and the memory of what could have been would have haunted him forever.
So naturally, he decided to give football one more go at the age of 59.
It's not as if Flynt has been sitting in a basement feeling sorry for himself all this time. He worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas A & M, and he invented a training system called the Powerbase.
It looked like his life was settling down a bit when Flynt got the bug and told his wife, "Pack your bags. We're going to Sul Ross State for my senior season!"
When she heard the idea, his wife's response was (no joke), "I feel like I'm married to Peter Pan." But she acquiesced, and several months later, Flynt has made the team.
It's tough to imagine an old geezer like Flynt getting much playing time at a Division III program. But he's doing what his heart has told him, which is something that can't be said for a lot of us.
One thing is for sure about this go-round at the Sul Ross football program: there will be no regrets.
This article is also posted at All on the Field sports blog.
