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The Senior: My Amazing Year as a 59-Year-Old College Football Linebacker
It’s Never Too Late to Tackle Your Dreams!
Mike Flynt was swapping stories with some old football buddies when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: getting kicked off the college team before his senior year. So, one of his pals said, "Why not do something about it?" Most 59-year-olds would have laughed. Flynt's only concern was his eligibility. He not only returned to college football, but actually made the team at his alma mater - Sul Ross State, an NCAA division III school.
His remarkable story begins with a tough upbringing by a violent father who trained him to fight at every opportunity. His fighting habit took him in and out of jail several times, until a faith conversion turned his life around on the very day he was contemplating suicide.
Mike Flynt has much to offer others, not only through his story, but through his belief that it’s never too late for God to heal your heart and fulfill your dreams.
Foreword by NBA Superstar LeBron James.
Mike Flynt was swapping stories with some old football buddies when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: getting kicked off the college team before his senior year. So, one of his pals said, "Why not do something about it?" Most 59-year-olds would have laughed. Flynt's only concern was his eligibility. He not only returned to college football, but actually made the team at his alma mater - Sul Ross State, an NCAA division III school.
His remarkable story begins with a tough upbringing by a violent father who trained him to fight at every opportunity. His fighting habit took him in and out of jail several times, until a faith conversion turned his life around on the very day he was contemplating suicide.
Mike Flynt has much to offer others, not only through his story, but through his belief that it’s never too late for God to heal your heart and fulfill your dreams.
Foreword by NBA Superstar LeBron James.
207 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2008
8 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 7, 2017
This guy spoke to our student ministry so I asked someone to pick me up a copy of the book. Good little story. I vaguely remember it in the news several years ago. Had no idea he lived in the same state just North of us and didn't know about his faith. It's a story of pursuing crazy dreams and God's continual work of redemption.
March 19, 2010
I had difficulty reading this book. Not because it is a difficult book to read. In fact I read it over the course of two evenings (and I'm a slow reader). I simply didn't care for the way it was written.
That said, Mike Flynt's story transcends his writing technique. And so I opted for three stars - a two star read, but a five star story.
That said, Mike Flynt's story transcends his writing technique. And so I opted for three stars - a two star read, but a five star story.
January 21, 2009
While the story is a terrific one the writing style is not for advanced readers. I found it very simplistic with choppy sentence structure.
January 7, 2023
Inspiring and encouraging, this is the story of Mike Flynt who journeys through anger issues that destroyed his senior year of college football to the drive to recapture that year as a 59 year old.
August 15, 2024
The story is uplifting, and honestly great. The writing leaves much to be desired. Not that I could do any better.
May 4, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THE HEART OF THIS STORY IS IN THE *JOURNEY*!
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The author, Mike Flynt is a fifty-nine-year-old former high school and college football player whose senior college season was cut short when he was kicked off the team and out of school… after a fight… that may or may not have been his fault… but this fight… when added to the already accrued total of fights and arrests on his record… tipped the scales to the point… that the college, Sul Ross State… didn’t care… they just wanted him gone from the University. For thirty-six years after the ending of his college career, this one incident festered like an open wound in his soul… and Mike always felt it was the biggest mistake in his life… he felt he let his teammates down.
The author leads you through his life starting with his Father a grizzled World War II veteran who taught his son to box at an early age… and to always be “MENTALLY-READY” for life on the “streets”. His Dad had **THREE-RULES**: “IF I EVER HEAR OF YOU STARTING A FIGHT, YOU’RE GOING TO GET A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME. IF I EVER HEAR OF SOMEONE STARTING A FIGHT WITH YOU AND YOU DON’T FIGHT BACK, YOU’RE GETTING A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME. IF I HEAR OF YOU FIGHTING AND YOU DON’T WIN, YOU’RE GETTING A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME.” Mike definitely followed his Dad’s rules, and probably fought a lot of times even if it didn’t have anything to do with his Dad’s rules. Mike went to high school at Odessa, Texas Permian High School… the school that was the inspiration for the book, movie, and TV series, “FRIDAY-NIGHT-LIGHTS”. In fact Mike was a member of the 1965 Class 4A Football State Champions… the first championship team at that now famous school.
In 2007 he was coerced by his former Sul Ross University teammates to attend a class reunion. When he attended the Reunion, and while having a few beers and celebrating the “Glory-Days”… the conversation led to the fact that Mike still had a year of college athletic eligibility left. Though fifty-nine-years old, Mike was in tremendous physical shape… and one thing led to another… and Mike was eventually approved to try out for the current Sul Ross team… even though he was older than the coach… and had children older than the players. Being that sports was the center of my existence during my school years and after… and the fact that I got kicked off my team in my junior year for the same offense as the author… I related very well with Mike’s plight. But since it was my junior year… I got to make amends in my senior year. Mike saw a fleeting shot… albeit thirty-six-years later… to put a permanent bandage on an old wound. Obviously at fifty-nine-years old Mike was not going to be a major player… if he made the team… but to me making the team is the “sizzle”… not the “steak”… in Mike’s life. The “steak”… and heart and soul of this story… is Mike’s journey… from brawler… multiple arrests and nights in jail… to successful man… successful Father/husband/Grandfather… and a man who found G-d.
This book is about a tremendous journey… the destination is simply what got the story told!
P.S. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life… but the two best were SON and FATHER… and because of that the most touching words in this entire book, was the dedication that Mike made in the beginning of the book:
**TO MY DAD**
“FOR ALL THE THINGS HE TAUGHT ME, RIGHT OR WRONG, NO FATHER EVER LOVED A SON MORE THAN MY DAD LOVED ME.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author, Mike Flynt is a fifty-nine-year-old former high school and college football player whose senior college season was cut short when he was kicked off the team and out of school… after a fight… that may or may not have been his fault… but this fight… when added to the already accrued total of fights and arrests on his record… tipped the scales to the point… that the college, Sul Ross State… didn’t care… they just wanted him gone from the University. For thirty-six years after the ending of his college career, this one incident festered like an open wound in his soul… and Mike always felt it was the biggest mistake in his life… he felt he let his teammates down.
The author leads you through his life starting with his Father a grizzled World War II veteran who taught his son to box at an early age… and to always be “MENTALLY-READY” for life on the “streets”. His Dad had **THREE-RULES**: “IF I EVER HEAR OF YOU STARTING A FIGHT, YOU’RE GOING TO GET A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME. IF I EVER HEAR OF SOMEONE STARTING A FIGHT WITH YOU AND YOU DON’T FIGHT BACK, YOU’RE GETTING A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME. IF I HEAR OF YOU FIGHTING AND YOU DON’T WIN, YOU’RE GETTING A WHIPPIN’ WHEN YOU GET HOME.” Mike definitely followed his Dad’s rules, and probably fought a lot of times even if it didn’t have anything to do with his Dad’s rules. Mike went to high school at Odessa, Texas Permian High School… the school that was the inspiration for the book, movie, and TV series, “FRIDAY-NIGHT-LIGHTS”. In fact Mike was a member of the 1965 Class 4A Football State Champions… the first championship team at that now famous school.
In 2007 he was coerced by his former Sul Ross University teammates to attend a class reunion. When he attended the Reunion, and while having a few beers and celebrating the “Glory-Days”… the conversation led to the fact that Mike still had a year of college athletic eligibility left. Though fifty-nine-years old, Mike was in tremendous physical shape… and one thing led to another… and Mike was eventually approved to try out for the current Sul Ross team… even though he was older than the coach… and had children older than the players. Being that sports was the center of my existence during my school years and after… and the fact that I got kicked off my team in my junior year for the same offense as the author… I related very well with Mike’s plight. But since it was my junior year… I got to make amends in my senior year. Mike saw a fleeting shot… albeit thirty-six-years later… to put a permanent bandage on an old wound. Obviously at fifty-nine-years old Mike was not going to be a major player… if he made the team… but to me making the team is the “sizzle”… not the “steak”… in Mike’s life. The “steak”… and heart and soul of this story… is Mike’s journey… from brawler… multiple arrests and nights in jail… to successful man… successful Father/husband/Grandfather… and a man who found G-d.
This book is about a tremendous journey… the destination is simply what got the story told!
P.S. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life… but the two best were SON and FATHER… and because of that the most touching words in this entire book, was the dedication that Mike made in the beginning of the book:
**TO MY DAD**
“FOR ALL THE THINGS HE TAUGHT ME, RIGHT OR WRONG, NO FATHER EVER LOVED A SON MORE THAN MY DAD LOVED ME.”
October 25, 2025
about a man whose father wanted him to always be prepared for a fight, so he was always ready to fight weather he needed to or not. due to fighting he gets kicked out of college.
he goes about his life, is a strength training coach for football, occasionally fighting. marries, children, gets saved. attends reunion of team he was expelled from and gets the idea that he can still play decades after the fact. he makes the team, it is such an unusual story that the media wants to cover it. problem is he is hurt and cannot play until the end of the season. pix.
he goes about his life, is a strength training coach for football, occasionally fighting. marries, children, gets saved. attends reunion of team he was expelled from and gets the idea that he can still play decades after the fact. he makes the team, it is such an unusual story that the media wants to cover it. problem is he is hurt and cannot play until the end of the season. pix.
December 15, 2009
I'm surprised that very few people have read this book. A 59-year old going back to play college football and finish school. It's a great inspiration.
February 4, 2012
Book poorly written and may have hindered the story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews