Dropping the curtain

Flutie (38-28 as a starter in the NFL) was an impressive 23-9 as a starter in home games and a remarkable 12-2 (including college) as a starter in Foxboro Stadium, including 5-0 there with the Patriots.

''The amazing thing with my career has been, since Day 1, I always felt like I gained strength from the fans being behind me," Flutie said. ''I always felt like the critics were out there, and they were in big numbers, and the jury was always out. And I said to this day, 'I'm going to announce my retirement and they'll say, ''See, I told you he couldn't do it." '

''The fans were the ones that always had no doubt in my abilities and the things I would do on the field, and they enjoyed watching me play. I definitely always gained my strength from the fans.

''Walking out on the field, knowing they were anticipating something great happening, and that we would win, no matter what the situation . . . they didn't give up faith, and you knew you had an opportunity. I kind of felt that obligation to them, that I'd have to pull a rabbit out of the hat or find a way to win."

Of course, the most notable rabbit Flutie produced came on the last play against the University of Miami in 1984. The famous Hail Mary pass that resulted in a 48-yard game-winning touchdown grab by Gerard Phelan is so memorable that it was part of a collection of football highlights Patriots coach Bill Belichick showed his 2006 rookie crop this past weekend.

A picture of a jubilant Flutie in that postgame celebration was among three photos in a collage presented to the signal caller by Patriots owner Robert Kraft at the retirement news conference.

''I can't think of one time when he was on the field where he didn't make us feel proud as sports fans of New England," said Kraft, who also gave Flutie a $22,000 donation to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, an organization Flutie created in honor of his son, who has the neurological disorder.