Don Flynn Donald Max Flynn ( September 14 , 1934 in Durant , Oklahoma - April 14 , 2010 ) is a former All - American quarterback , NFL quarterback , soldier and businessman . He grew up in Tyler , Texas , lettering in baseball , basketball and football in high school , he was awarded the MVP trophy his senior year at Tyler High School . He was given a football scholarship to the University of Houston and was named an honorable mention quarterback to the 1957 All - American team , as well as being selected for MVP again his senior year of college . Flynn graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in petroleum engineering and minored in geology . After college , Flynn served in the Army and played four years of professional football . Flynn played for the Dallas Texans , who later became the Kansas City Chiefs , and the New York Titans , who later became the New York Jets . Flynn also played in the Canadian league for the Edmonton Eskimos . At the professional level , Flynn was a defensive back and quarterback , he started every game for both the Texans and the Titans . While playing in the NFL , Flynn made about $ 8 , 500 a year , and so after an injury to his knee , Flynn decided to take a job with Skelly Oil Company in Duncan , Oklahoma . Flynn later relocated to Tulsa , Oklahoma and went to work for White Shield Oil and Gas Company . In 1972 , Flynn formed Flynn Energy Corp . and by 1976 the company had been named Oklahoma ' s Stock of the Year by Oklahoma Business magazine . Less than two years later , Flynn sold the oil - and gas firm for over $ 30 million . During the period from 1972 – 1978 , the company drilled 342 wells in Oklahoma , Louisiana , Michigan , Texas , West Virginia and Pennsylvania , Arkansas and Colorado . During this period the company developed 80 . 3 BCF of Net Equivalent Gas Reserves having a Total Income of $ 152 MM . The Company went public in February 1974 and was publicly traded , ( OTC ) , until the assets were sold in December 1978 , to Reserve Oil and Gas for a total cash consideration of $ 54 MM . This was an asset sale , and the Company was immediately reorganized after the closing . The second Flynn Energy Corp . was established at that time . This company was run much like the first , and between 1978 - 1989 the company drilled 274 wells and earned $ 390 million dollars . Flynn went on to spend over 40 years in the oil and gas industry , he founded and managed two successful publicly traded companies . Flynn also founded DMF Inc . which is a privately owned corporation . DMF Inc . holds interest in 19 producing wells in Michigan , Oklahoma , Texas , and Louisiana . Between Flynn Energy Corp . and DMF Inc . , the net income for both companies totaled $ 542 million . Flynn met his wife , Patricia Fenwick , while she was working as a flight attendant on a Braniff flight he was taking with one of his football teams . A year later they were married and not long after that they had four children , Brett , Don , Kelly , and Michael . Flynn and his family lived in Tulsa , Oklahoma in Southern Hills , where he enjoyed playing golf . He also has four granddaughters Mallory Flynn - Hodges , Lindsay Flynn , Samantha Wright , and Rebecca Flynn . Paramount in his life were love of his family , his Christian faith , competitive sports , country - western music and regard and concern for this exceptional country . On Wednesday April 14 , 2010 Don Flynn died in the Intensive Care Unit of St . Johns Medical Center in Tulsa , Oklahoma . He was 75 .