For some, the NFL Draft is the football equivalent of Disney World, a magical place where childhood dreams come true. For others, it’s nothing short of an absolute nightmare.
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In the unfortunate case of the Super Bowl XXXV champion, Mike Flynn, his experience proved to be the latter. As a rookie, the event proved to be a mute point for him, as he would go undrafted.
Even after he had found a place for himself in the league, things didn’t get much better. For Flynn, each and every day of the draft that was hosted throughout his 10-year career brought nothing but fear and anxiety with it. During a recent interview with Recruiting Board, the former Baltimore Raven proudly announced “I hate the NFL Draft.”
“When I was playing, I just hated it, because they are taking guys to take my job. People would call me all the time when I was with the Ravens. ‘Oh the draft is here, who do you think the Ravens are going to get?’ I don’t care as long as they don’t take a lineman. I’m trying to earn a living. This is how I pay for food, man...It was the worst experience,” Flynn recalled.
According to Flynn, the end result was “11 years of pain and being scared” about the team’s potential draft targets. In fact, if it wasn’t for the free food and accommodations, he likely would have never attended a single draft day event.
He also suggested that playing in the trenches does you little to no favors as an undrafted rookie, furthering the idea that offensive linemen truly are the unsung heroes of the NFL. Simply put, “there’s no perfect situation.”
“Every lineman, when they come to camp, it’s 15 guys, and most of them went to big schools… You’re just trying to find a place where you’re comfortable.”
Thankfully, Flynn was able to land softly with the Ravens in 1997. After playing in just 15 games throughout his first two seasons in the league, he would finally earn those coveted starting honors at the turn of the century.
In Flynn’s first year starting at right guard, Baltimore would manage to win its first ever Super Bowl, crowning Flynn as one of the more unlikely champions in NFL history. In the span of just three years, he had officially gone from an undrafted afterthought to a full-time starter who was more than worthy of hoisting the Lombardi trophy.
Nevertheless, Flynn credits Kirk Ferentz, first and foremost, for his underdog story. After struggling to choose a path as an undrafted free agent, Flynn explained that he ultimately signed with the Ravens purely because of his trust in Ferentz.
“He was with the Browns and had just moved to Baltimore with the Ravens. I was talking on the phone with him for a long time and it was like, just go with what you know. Here’s a guy that liked you in college, saw something in you. I knew I was going to get a fair shot. Doesn’t mean he can get me on the team, but I have a fair chance, and he’s a great coach,” Flynn added.
In the end, it’s safe to say that Flynn made the right decision to follow Ferentz up north. He may not be the most celebrated player in Ravens history, and he may not be a Hall of Fame caliber player, but he was able to fight his way into the league and become a champion.
Having now lived out every offensive lineman’s dream, Flynn can rest easy at night knowing that he no longer has to worry about someone coming to take his place.
