Walt Michaels
New Jersey Generals
“I was told by doctors that he shouldn't even be practicing; never mind playing,” said Michaels in June 2006. “We warned Doug to get down or get out-of-bonds and do it quickly. When Reggie White hit him in front of the bench, I heard the crack. It was a legitimate hit.”
The Generals won 11 games in 1985 as they earned a home-playoff game against Jim Mora’s Philadelphia Stars. But for a second-consecutive year, the Stars beat the Generals in the playoffs.
“Trump never understand how we would beat his team,” said Stars’ general manager Carl Peterson. “He would say, ‘I spend millions on players and you [Stars] have a bunch of no-names and you still beat me.’”
Flutie was injured in a Week 15 game against the Memphis Showboats, when Reggie White sacked him. He suffered a broken collarbone and missed the last three games of the season.
Michaels was getting pressure from above, and Flutie as well, to allow the Heisman Trophy winner to start the game against the Stars, but the veteran coach didn’t want to jeopardize Flutie’s future as a quarterback.
Donald urged Michaels to get Flutie back on the field, but Michaels wasn’t hearing any of it. So, the coach took the reports to an orthopedic in New York that wasn’t connected with the team and his instincts were correct.
Flutie’s collarbone wasn’t just broken it was shattered. To this day, Michaels doesn't regret holding Flutie back.
“I was told by doctors that he shouldn't even be practicing; never mind playing,” said Michaels in June 2006. “We warned Doug to get down or get out-of-bonds and do it quickly. When Reggie White hit him in front of the bench, I heard the crack. It was a legitimate hit.”
The Generals lost to the Stars 20-17 in the quarterfinals at the Meadowlands, as replacement quarterback Ron Reeves couldn't lead New Jersey to victory.