Flutie Less Than Fantastic in Pro Debut

ORLANDO, Fla. â€”  It wasn’t Doug Flutie’s night.

The New Jersey Generals’ $7-million quarterback was harassed, rushed and dumped by a furious pass rush in his professional debut with the United States Football League Friday night.

He rated his own performance “a C-plus, for coming back strong.�

The Generals won the exhibition, 24-14, against the Orlando Renegades, but Flutie did not directly figure in the scoring. He completed only 7 of 18 passes for 174 yards and no touchdowns, and his first two passes were intercepted--both by the same man, Jeff Gabrielson.

The Heisman Trophy winner from Boston College did scramble well--he had to--gaining 51 yards on three quick sprints.

“It was a typical rookie debut,� Flutie said after the game. “I took my lumps. It was a shaky start.�

But he said he was happy about the way “I bounced back and the way it turned out.�

The Renegades’ quarterback, Jerry Golsteyn, outdid Flutie, hitting on 23 of 35 passes, two for touchdowns.

Flutie said he was “kind of surprised I was nervous� at the start of the game.

“On the first interception, I said, ‘that’s typical.’ I tried to shake it off. The second, I threw the ball late. I wasn’t so upset over that one.�

Two of the Generals’ touchdowns were scored by linebacker John Joyce, one a 78-yard run on a fumble recovery and the other when he covered a Golsteyn fumble in the end zone. Maurice Carthon ran one in from the 1-yard line and Roger Ruzek added a 28-yard field goal.

Golsteyn’s scoring passes were to wide receivers Joey Walters for 10 yards and Jerry Parrish for 20.