Mike Flynt will deliver the Sul Ross State University fall commencement address at the ceremony on Friday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Pete P. Gallego Center in Alpine and on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m. at the International Center for Trade in Eagle Pass.
Flynt’s inspirational life story was made famous this fall in the nationwide theatrical release of the movie based on his autobiography, The Senior.
A native of Odessa, Flynt graduated from Permian High School in 1966. As the starting defensive back on the legendary 1965 State Championship football team, he played a part in the legacy that later inspired the book and film Friday Night Lights.
Earning a full football scholarship to Sul Ross, he went on to receive his degree in physical education and business. His passion for athletic performance led him to the University of Nebraska, where he served as Strength and Conditioning Coach and completed postgraduate studies in the Physiology of Exercise.
Flynt became one of the original founders and a lifetime member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), which now boasts more than 70,000 members worldwide. He made history as the first Strength and Conditioning Coach in the PAC-10 at the University of Oregon, overseeing training for 16 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports, while also serving as Regional Director for the NSCA. His career continued at Texas A&M University, where he coached strength and conditioning for 18 intercollegiate teams.
An inventor and innovator, Flynt holds two registered U.S. patents. His expertise also reached the highest levels of service, training members of the U.S. Military inside the Pentagon on how to build and maintain strength in the field.
In 2007, at the age of 59, Flynt made national headlines when he returned to his alma mater to play his senior year of college football, becoming the oldest linebacker in NCAA history.
A Certified Master of Fitness Sciences through the International Sports Sciences Association, he is also the author of The Power-Based Life, published by HarperCollins.
Today, Flynt continues to inspire audiences across the nation as a motivational speaker, sharing his powerful story of perseverance, redemption and faith with corporations, churches, schools and athletic teams of all kinds.
Married for 53 years to his beloved wife, Eileen, he is the proud father of three grown children and grandfather to 11 wonderful grandchildren.
Photo: Mike Flynt