Drop kick hits the NFL

A football play somewhat common in the Canadian Football League made its presence known in the NFL on Sunday. Former CFL MVP Doug Flutie scored an extra point via a drop kick for New England in a 28-26 Miami win. It was the first time a drop kick has been done in the NFL since 1941.

In the CFL, any player is allowed to drop-kick the ball at any time. Any onside player may recover it, although a drop-kick through the uprights is a field goal. Those who watched the last play of this year's Grey Cup game noticed that Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo tried to drop-kick the ball. While that confused the ESPN SportsCenter announcers, CFL fans knew what Calvillo was trying to do.

Flutie played in the CFL from 1990-1997, winning the Most Outstanding Player Award six times. He played for the B.C. Lions, Calgary Stampeders, and Toronto Argonauts. Flutie won three Grey Cups: 1992 (Calgary) as well as back-to-back in 1996 and 1997 (Toronto).

There was speculation before last season that Flutie might come up to play for Hamilton and play with his brother, Darren, a retired wide receiver who works as a color commentator and studio host for the CBC. This drop kick seems to indicate his NFL career is over. As for the CFL, there will likely be some speculation, despite his being 43 years old.

Whether or not this is the last play for Flutie as a football player, Flutie should be proud of his American and Canadian careers. And he should play for as long as he wants to in his career.