The Senior: story of 59-year-old college football player comes to life on big screen

College football is a brutal, high-impact sport that tests the physical and mental limits of young athletes. But what happens when you put on the pads at 59 years old?

That’s exactly what Mike Flynt did in 2007 at Sul Ross State University. 

Now, his inspirational story is headed to movie theaters across the country in a new film titled “The Senior,” opening September 19.

Flynt, a former all-conference linebacker who originally played for Sul Ross in the early '70s, returned to the field more than three decades later after being expelled during his senior year following a fight with a freshman teammate.

“I came back for one reason and one reason only — and it was to win a conference championship,” Flynt said.

It was an unforgettable season for those on the Lobos football team, including El Paso native and team captain Fernando “Fernie” Acosta.

“I was a junior in college. I had just been promoted to team captain,” Acosta said. “We were all still trying to figure out what was going on at that time.”

Flynt had stayed in shape throughout his years working as a strength and conditioning coach and earned his spot on the roster through grit and determination. His story quickly became national news.

But for Flynt, the journey was deeply personal.

“The loss of my senior year had become my greatest regret in life,” Flynt said. “That team 4-6-1 and had so much potential. I knew it would have been different if I had been there.”

That regret resurfaced during a conversation at a college reunion. When Flynt told his old teammates he still believed he could play, most laughed — except one.

“Stan Williamson looked at me and said, ‘Why don’t you?’” Flynt recalled.

So Mike and his wife Eileen packed their bags in Tennessee and traveled to Alpine. After passing a rigorous fitness test and convincing the coaching staff, Flynt was back on the team — this time, as one of the oldest NCAA college football players in history.

Flynt quickly began to bond with Fernie Acosta.

“We both had the same goal at the same time,” Acosta said. “We were here to win.”

18 years later, Acosta and Flynt still keep in touch. 

“I’ve been convinced that God put Fernie into my life specifically for that season,” Flynt said.

The story of that 2007 season inspired Flynt to write a book, titled “The Senior,” and now a film that has already stirred excitement in Sul Ross alumni circles — especially among the “915 Lobos,” a group of over 1,000 El Paso-area graduates. 

The group has organized a special screening of the film on September 20 at AMC, which sold out in just two days.

Ray Granado, president of the 915 Lobos, says he’s proud to see Sul Ross State on the big screen.

“That’s my school, my alma mater,” Granado said. “Mike Flynt is just a wonderful person. I got to meet him, and he’s a good-hearted man.”

Acosta even read from Flynt’s book, The Senior, at a recent alumni meetup. One line stood out:

“I was later asked who on the 2007 Sul Ross team reminded me of myself when I played nearly 40 years ago. I answered without hesitation. It was Fernie.”

Flynt also shared the message he hopes people take away from the movie and his story of resilience.

“You can heal,” he said. “You can change the meaning of regret by doing something positive in the name of that regret. Never give up on your dreams.”

“The Senior” opens nationwide on September 19.

For more information, visit the movie’s website, linked here.