LSU QB Flynn is making the most of his senior season

Many people say Matt Flynn is a spitting image of actor Matt Damon. AP

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He's the quarterback and key leader of the SEC champions and the life of the party off the field. Matt Flynn is comfortable in the spotlight, but there is one thing that can turn him a shade of red -- the fact that he is the spitting image of actor Matt Damon.

"He's not shy at all, but for some reason that embarrasses him," says good friend and LSU running back Jacob Hester.

In Sept. 2007, The Advocate of Baton Rouge conducted a poll asking readers what they thought of the comparison, and the overwhelming response (85.2 percent) was the two Matts do look similar. Of course, in Louisiana the feeling is Matt Damon looks a lot like Matt Flynn.

Flynn knows being linked with People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive "is not a bad comparison," but he has earned his brief time not because of what he looks like, but how he's produced when finally given the chance. After three years of backing up Marcus Randall and eventual No. 1 NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell, Flynn came into '07 as the starting signal-caller for the Tigers. Before the season, many LSU followers considered highly touted sophomore Ryan Perrilloux as a serious challenger for the job, but Flynn's solid spring performance eliminated any doubts. The Tigers go after their second national title in five years with Flynn at the helm.

Two years earlier, Flynn showed he could handle the responsibility of leading the team when he earned offensive MVP honors in the Peach Bowl at the end of the '05 season. Stepping in for an injured Russell, Flynn directed the Tigers to a 40-3 rout of Miami, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns while running for another 39 yards. It was the kind of game he knew he was capable of, but he returned to the bench behind Russell for the 2006 season.

"Obviously, JaMarcus was as gifted, or more talented, in terms of arm strength as anybody else in the world," Flynn said. "He could do things that nobody else could do. It was tough to not be playing, but I never doubted my decision. I knew if I kept working, good things were going to happen."

Things started to fall into place for Flynn when Russell decided to skip his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. Flynn was one of the first to learn of he decision, and he entered the season knowing he would be doing a lot more than holding on extra points and field goals. Flynn's presence made for a smooth quarterback transition at LSU, which entered the season with national-title aspirations despite losing Russell and three other first-round draft picks.

"Luckily, we had a quarterback that had been here for so long. Even though he hadn't been a starter, he had played in some games and had the leadership skills," Hester said. "Anytime there is a new quarterback, it is a tough situation that takes a couple of games, but with Matt, his experience really helped him."

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