*All athletes have that one game, that one contest, that ranks as the most unforgettable of their lives. It can be memorable because of a personal or team achievement, a dramatic finish, a sentimental moment, or a number of any other factors.
Continuing a series begun last summer, Packers.com caught up with the members of the 2008 draft class to ask them about the game they'll never forget. It could be a game at any level of competition that took place at any time. They're all hoping their new NFL careers will give them new memories and new games to cherish, but for now, these rank at the top.*
One might assume that the most memorable game of quarterback Matt Flynn's football career would be his last college contest, when he led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship over the Ohio State Buckeyes last January.
But it is Flynn's last loss that is actually the game he'll never forget.
It came on Nov. 23, 2007, against Arkansas in Flynn's last game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Route, La. Playing the Southeastern Conference rival Razorbacks with a berth in the league title game already wrapped up and their national title hopes in their own hands, the Tigers lost a heartbreaker, 50-48, in triple overtime as Flynn's pass for the game-tying two-point conversion in the third OT was intercepted.
"Me personally, negative things stick with me longer than positive things," said Flynn, who was drafted in the seventh round this past April by the Packers. "That's the one that kind of sticks in my side. That (last) play will always stick in my mind."
It was a valiant effort by Flynn nonetheless. He separated his throwing shoulder in the third quarter on a two-point conversion run that tied the score, and he took some medication both during regulation and before the overtime periods began so he could continue playing.
Despite the bum shoulder, Flynn threw two TD passes to Demetrius Byrd later in the second half. The second one came with just 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28 and send it to overtime.
Flynn engineered a 13-play, 79-yard drive, to force the extra sessions. On fourth-and-goal from the Arkansas 2-yard line with 1:01 left, Flynn scrambled for the tying score, only to have the play nullified because Arkansas had called a timeout just before the snap. He then hit Byrd for the TD on the play that counted, keeping the Tigers alive.
Flynn continued his gritty play in the overtimes, running for a 12-yard touchdown on LSU's first possession. Arkansas responded to keep the game tied, and then both teams traded TDs in the second OT.
After the Razorbacks got a touchdown and two-point conversion to start the third OT, Flynn responded with a 12-yard pass to Early Doucet and a 9-yard TD toss to Brandon LaFell. But when he tried to find Byrd for the tying two-pointer, Arkansas' Matteral Richardson picked it off.
"The DB made a good play," said Flynn, who finished 22-of-47 for 209 yards in the game. "He jumped in front of a slant route and intercepted it.
"It was a great game to watch, a great game to be a part of, but we didn't get it done. It was fun, but one of those games you always think of."
The loss was LSU's second on the season, with the other also coming in triple overtime at Kentucky. It was thought the Tigers' national championship hopes were dashed with the two defeats, but when Missouri lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship and West Virginia was upset by Pittsburgh, LSU was right back in the picture.
{sportsad300}"We didn't think it was completely out the window, but we knew it was about a 99 percent chance that it was," Flynn said. "Somehow, someone was looking out for us. The planets aligned right, and we got a shot at it.
"We definitely felt like we deserved to be in the (title) game. We were undefeated in regulation that year. We got beat in two triple overtimes. But we were just excited that it all worked out for us."
The separated shoulder forced Flynn to miss the SEC Championship, but backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux led the Tigers to a victory over Tennessee, and Flynn was back under center for the BCS Championship Game.
He went 19-of-27 for 174 yards with four touchdowns, earning offensive MVP honors, in the 38-24 triumph over Ohio State, and it probably seemed easy with a healthy right shoulder.
The guts he showed in playing hurt six weeks earlier probably won't be remembered as much by LSU fans because the Tigers lost the game, but at future college reunions his teammates are certain to remember.
"I don't think they would have expected less from me," Flynn said. "I don't go out there to prove myself to anybody. I go out there to play for me, I go out there to play for my teammates. In college, you go out there to represent your school well, your family well and yourself well. I think that's what I did."
