Flatley, Paul, 1941-
Biography
Paul Richard Flatley was born on January 30, 1941, in Richmond, Indiana. He grew up there and played football for Richmond High School, winning All-Conference and All-State honors.
After graduating from high school in June 1959, Flatley enrolled at Northwestern University and initiated his collegiate football career as a member of Northwestern’s 1959 freshmen football squad. At the outset, he played fullback and halfback. Northwestern coach Ara Parseghian and his staff shifted Flatley to flanker back in 1962 and in this position he blossomed into one of the finest pass receivers in the nation.
One of the most important games of his career was in 1962 season against Notre Dame. In that contest Flatley caught a pass one-handed, a feat so remarkable that Parseghian remarked that it was the best catch he had ever seen. Flatley’s accomplishments were rewarded by selections to the East-West Shrine Bowl, Hula Bowl, Academic All-American, and College All-Star Football Classic teams. Flatley was named to the All-Big Ten Team in 1962. He graduated from Northwestern in 1963 with a B.A. degree in History and Russian.
After leaving Northwestern, Flatley went on to play professionally in the National Football League, selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played for the Vikings from 1963 to 1967 and during his first season Flatley had 51 catches for 867 yards and four touchdowns, a performance earning him the 1963 Associated Press Rookie of the Year award. Flatley received recognition for outstanding play in 1966 by being named to that year’s Pro Bowl team. He closed his NFL career with Atlanta, playing for the Falcons from 1968 to 1970. In the course of his professional football career, Flatley played 106 games, scored 24 touchdowns and completed 306 receptions.
In addition to his work in football. Flatley was an entrepreneur, founding Flatley Temporary Services (later, Flatley Employment Services), which he sold in 1996. He also worked as a radio broadcaster for WCCO Radio in Minnesota, handling Minnesota Viking pregame and postgame shows from 1971 to 1990. He also worked as a broadcast analyst for University of Minnesota football from 1983 to 1997. Flatley was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1978 and into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Paul Flatley (1941- ) Papers
Paul Richard Flatley enrolled at Northwestern University in 1959 and began his football career as a member of Northwestern’s 1959 freshmen squad. After receiving a B.A. in history and Russian in 1963, he played professional footbal with the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons. His papers fill one half-sized box and span the period of 1961-2008. Materials are arranged in two categories: clippings and photographs.