Senior Barry Flynn, former First Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference basketball player is back at DePauw for his last semester. But this time Flynn has hung up the basketball jersey and bought a new pair of football cleats.
Flynn decided to join football during spring semester last year and will be the starting wide receiver under Coach Bill Lynch's direction this fall.
"It's taken me a second to brush all the dust off but I feel like the team and I are getting better every day," Flynn said.
Flynn led the men's basketball team in scoring and rebounds last season. Coming back for only fall semester meant that Flynn would be unable to play basketball in his last season of college athletic eligibility.
"[Flynn] is a guy that can't sit still for long," said Bill Fenlon, the men's basketball coach. "Since he has another semester here he's decided to make this effort to play football, and I know Coach Lynch is pretty happy that he has."
The men's basketball team will have to find a way to fill the void, but Fenlon is certain that Flynn would be successful in stepping up into his new position on the football team. Flynn started his college career playing football at Ball State University four years ago. Standing 6 feet 5 inches and 225 pounds Flynn will be the biggest wide receiver on the roster.
"[Flynn] has Division I athletic ability without question," said Fenlon. "As far as his physical tools translating onto the football field? I can tell you that I would hate to be a 5-foot-11-inch, 170 pound defensive back with that guy barreling toward me."
Flynn was recruited as a tight end to Ball State University in 2009 after a successful high school career at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. Coach Lynch followed Flynn's success throughout his high school football career and had contacted him to play at Indiana University in Bloomington. When Flynn ended up at Ball State, Lynch's son Joey Lynch was his position's coach.
"Recruiting [Flynn] to play football for DePauw was a lot different than talking a basketball player into becoming a football player," Lynch said. "Having known his history I knew how competitive of a football player he was."
When Coach Lynch approached Flynn and his father last year about playing football it took him a couple weeks to decide what he wanted to do. Flynn played both football and basketball in high school, and he quit the football team at Ball State after his freshman year.
When Flynn transferred to DePauw his junior year he made the decision to play basketball and had great success during his basketball career. Flynn loves both sports and is happy with his decision to play football during his last year as a college athlete.
"I will be whatever the teams needs me to be," Flynn said. "If that's a leader then I will step up to that role."
With a whole new coaching staff, team and season, Flynn was satisfied with the teams' performance at the scrimmage last Saturday against Franklin College.
"The scrimmage went well," said Flynn. "It was nice to go out there and put the pads on and hit some other guys."
Coach Lynch was pleased with the way Flynn performed physically and mentally in preparation for the regular season. Flynn will be wearing jersey number 85 and has been placed as the number one wide receiver by Lynch for the first game at Sewanee: The University of the South this Saturday.
"We went sixteen days straight without a day off during preseason camp, and I don't remember him missing one rep," said Lynch. "He's earned it."