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A bright spot amid a disappointing Boston College season? Zay Flowers is playing better than ever
Whenever Boston College football coach Jeff Hafley chats with NFL friends about Zay Flowers, a common theme emerges.
“Everybody’s got a really close eye on him,” Hafley said of his star receiver. “I think he’s really climbing, which is really cool when a kid comes back. It doesn’t always happen that way.”
In a tough season for the Eagles, the 5-foot-10, 172-pound senior spark plug has been a bright spot.
He and quarterback Phil Jurkovec have developed a special connection over the last three seasons, and their production has reached a new level. Flowers is currently second in school history with 23 receiving TDs (five away from the record), second in receiving yards with 2,670 (130 away), and fourth in receptions with 174 (17 away).
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When the Eagles (2-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) face Connecticut (3-5) on Saturday at noon in East Hartford, they’ll continue to lean heavily on Flowers. He said he’s focused on winning and leading by example, more so than chasing records.
“If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen,” Flowers said.
Through seven games, Flowers is first in the Atlantic Coast Conference in catches (52) and receiving yards (691) and second in receiving touchdowns (6). Flowers is the only player in the country with four TD grabs of 50 yards or more against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
Hafley is grateful one of his best players is also one of his most enthusiastic and encouraging. He frequently sees Flowers celebrate with a teammate or constructively tell them how they can improve.
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Flowers isn’t someone who addresses the whole team with a booming voice, Hafley said, but he’s purposefully vocal with younger wide receivers in both practice and games. Hafley doesn’t have to tell him to pull them aside when they need help.
He said Flowers leads by example and practices hard, and that energy is contagious. Ever since he arrived on campus, Hafley said, Flowers has remained true to himself.
“That’s how Zay leads, and I think that’s how he’s always been,” Hafley said.
Offensive lineman Jack Conley called Flowers an “unbelievable player” but made it clear his contributions don’t end there.
It would be easy for the star player on a 2-5 team to pout or veer away from the pack. Conley has seen the exact opposite from Flowers.
“He lifts everyone up constantly,” Conley said. “There’s never a day that he’s not smiling. He’s probably our best player on the team, but in the locker room, he’s also one of the best people on this team. He’s a great dude.”
Flowers acknowledged it can be somewhat difficult to remain so chipper, but you’d never know it from watching him play. He knows it’s his responsibility to stay spry, because as the glue, his actions carry great weight.
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“Zay has been a great role model,” freshman wide receiver Joe Griffin Jr. said. “I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps.”
He also reminds the team that in tough times, it’s important to take a step back and genuinely appreciate the grind. If they don’t do that, then why are they doing it at all?
“I’ll try to mess with somebody and make them laugh, just try to get them up for the morning and get them ready for practice,” Flowers said. “In the huddle, I try to say something funny so everybody can take it easy and not take it so seriously all the time.”
His teammates know Flowers knows what he’s talking about, so he is easy to trust. The receivers see him handle double-teams with ease and make spectacular grab after spectacular grab.
As dynamic as he’s been, Flowers still believes he could do more. Whether that’s keeping his tempo up, making even more contested catches, or giving the defense some energy, he knows everything he does is magnified.
He wouldn’t have it any other way. That pressure is what he signed up for when he returned to Boston College, and Hafley expects his production to continue.
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Offensive lineman Zion Johnson returned to school last year and improved his draft stock before eventually going in the first round.Hafley believes Flowers is helping his stock as well. The latest projections have Flowers going in the second or third round.
“I think everyone would agree that he’s played his best football,” Hafley said. “He’s got five more games to do a lot of great things, and I don’t think he’ll let up at all, which is cool. In this world of football, some kids might.”
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