Hokie ClubBy Jimmy Robertson
Some may have doubted Brandon Flowers' ability as a college football player when he enrolled at Virginia Tech more than a decade ago, but he put all those to rest in his very first game.
On Sept. 11, 2004, the Hokies were playing Western Michigan in their home opener following a tough, season opening loss to Southern Cal. Tech rolled to a huge lead against the Broncos and won 63-0 in a game that allowed Bud Foster to play several of his reserves. In the second half, he summoned Flowers, then a true freshman, and told him to get in – and moments later, Flowers returned an interception for a touchdown.
That marked the first of numerous big plays for Flowers during a career that ultimately led to his induction into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Flowers returned to the school's campus Friday evening to participate in the induction ceremony and banquet at the Inn at Virginia Tech.
The Delray Beach, Florida native and five others comprise the 2019 class of the athletics department's hall of fame. All represent the very best of Virginia Tech, though none quite carry the name recognition of Flowers, who arguably ranks as the greatest in the Hokies' long history of tremendous defensive backs.
Flowers twice earned All-America honors and All-ACC recognition during his career from 2004-07. As a redshirt sophomore in 2006, he recorded 51 tackles, intercepted three passes and broke up a team-best 18 passes, earning third-team All-America recognition by The Associated Press. As a redshirt junior in 2007, he finished third on the team with 86 tackles and led the team with five interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown. That season, he helped the Hokies to the ACC title, earning All-America honors in the process.
After that 2007 season, he elected to forgo his final collegiate year and make himself available for the NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the second round of the 2008 draft, and he spent nine seasons in the NFL with two different teams before retiring. He finished his career with nearly 500 tackles and 21 interceptions.
Fittingly, he goes into Tech's hall of fame in the same season that will mark defensive coordinator Bud Foster's final one.
"Bud preached perfection, and that's how I attacked every day in life," Flowers said in an interview earlier this year. "That passion that I played with, I got it from him. When he came into the meeting room, he came with passion, and we couldn't wait to get to practice. That's just how I carried myself throughout my whole NFL career.
"And the structure he had, it gave me a nice turnover. It was easy for me to just go into the NFL. I was a starter on the first day on training camp, and there wasn't any nerves or anything. He instilled that in me here. I don't care where you're at on the depth chart. You've got to be perfect. Me going in there on my first day, my first practice, in the NFL, it was just like I had always been there."
After he retired from the NFL, Flowers knew exactly what he wanted to do. Fulfilling a promise that he made to his parents, he returned to Blacksburg, wrapped up coursework toward a degree in sociology, and graduated from the university – 10 years after leaving.
Flowers' parents are deserving of praise as well and worthy inductees to any parental hall of fame. His father, Willie, cashed out a portion of his retirement plan just to come up with the cash needed to send Brandon to Hargrave to give him a better opportunity at a Division I scholarship. After seeing his son land at Tech, he only missed one game of his son's collegiate career (because of a hurricane), making the 12-hour drive from South Florida for all home games and driving to most road games as well.
Of course, mom Patricia played an indelible role in raising Brandon, too. She worked two jobs, sacrificing a lot to provide a better life for her son.
How good of a job did they do? Well, after observing them, Flowers was so serious about taking care of his NFL earnings that he waited for 10 years before he bought his first house. Also, in 2017, he spoke at the NFL's Personal Finance Camp run by NFL Player Engagement, the University of Miami School of Business Administration and TD Ameritrade. The camp aims to educate NFL players on how to make their money last long after they stop playing, and Flowers was the perfect example of a player who made wise choices with his finances.
Saturday, Flowers returns to the field where he achieved greatness, a place that helped propel him to NFL success and a secure future. He, along with the other inductees in the 2019 class, will be recognized at halftime.
In a way, that seems only fitting. Lane Stadium is the perfect place for a final tribute to a young man who left an overwhelmingly positive and lasting legacy.