Brandon Lavar Flowers (born February 18, 1986) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
at
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
, and was drafted by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
in the second round of the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 2 ...
.
High school career
Flowers played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
while attending
Atlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School (also known as Atlantic and ATL and formerly called Seacrest High School) is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for ...
, where he earned first-team all-area and all-conference honors. He was teammates with
Omar Jacobs and
David Clowney
David Cortez Clowney IV (born July 8, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Clowney spent the bulk of ...
. Flowers then attended
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...
for prep school in 2003.
At Hargreaves, he was teammates with
Jonathan Hefney
Jonathan Jerrod Hefney (born February 27, 1985 in Rock Hill, South Carolina) is a former Canadian Football defensive back. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Tennessee.
H ...
,
Brian Soi
Brian Soi (born May 3, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Utah State.
Soi has also been a member of the New York Giants a ...
,
DJ Ware
Danny Franklin "DJ" Ware, Jr. (born February 18, 1985) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia.
Ware earned two Super Bowl rings ...
, and
Justin Harper. He also starred in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and
track.
Although considered a three-star recruit, Flowers was not listed among the nation's top cornerback prospects by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
''.
College career
Flowers attended
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
, where he majored in
Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
. In 2004; he did not play in the season opener vs. Southern California, but made a spectacular interception for a 38-yard return the following week vs. Western Michigan. He suffered a fractured right fibula later in the contest and missed the rest of the season. Flowers returned to action in 2005, posting 20 tackles (13 solo) with four pass deflections, 1 1/2 stops behind the line of scrimmage, and an interception.
As a sophomore in 2006, Flowers took over the boundary cornerback spot, going on to start his final 27 games with the Hokies. He earned All-American second-team and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors, leading the league with 21 passes defended, breaking up 18 throws and picking off three others. He totaled 51 tackles (29 solo) with 3.5 sacks and 7.5 stops for losses. He also caused a fumble and did not allow an opponent to catch any passes in three games.
As a junior in 2007, Flowers again received All-American and All-ACC recognition. In 2007, Flowers intercepted five passes and deflected nine others; he also ranked third on the team with 86 tackles (56 solo), including eight stops behind the line of scrimmage.
In 41 games at Virginia Tech, Flowers made 28 starts at cornerback, making 158 tackles (99 solo) with 3.5 sacks for minus-28 yards, 17 stops for losses of 71 yards and six quarterback pressures. He caused and recovered a fumble, deflected 32 passes, and intercepted 10 others for 172 yards in returns and two touchdowns. He also led the
Atlantic Coast Conference in passes broken up (18) and passes defended (21).
Flowers decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 2 ...
.
Professional career
Regarded as the No. 8 cornerback available in the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 2 ...
, Flowers was described an "opportunistic cornerback with solid ball skills" by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''. He was drafted by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
in the second round (35th overall) of the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 2 ...
. Flowers was the highest selected Hokies defender since
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ov ...
in
2004.
Kansas City Chiefs
![Flowers and Morgan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Flowers_and_Morgan.JPG)
Flowers signed his contract for four years on July 23, 2008.
During the 2008 season, Flowers played opposite
Patrick Surtain
Patrick Frank Surtain Sr. ( ; born June 19, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. ...
, who is his cousin. He recorded his first two career interceptions against
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 201 ...
of the
New York Jets on October 26, returning the 2nd one 91 yards for a touchdown. The Chiefs, however, lost the game 28–24.
Flowers finished the season with 69 tackles (62 solo), 1 forced fumble, 13 pass break-ups, 2 interceptions and a touchdown.
Despite playing nearly all the 2009 season with a hurt shoulder, Flowers accumulated 65 tackles (58 solo), 2 forced fumbles, 23 pass break-ups, and 5 interceptions.
During the 2010 season, he helped lead the Chiefs to the 14th ranked defense (in yards per game), after finishing 30th the previous season, and helped lead the Chiefs to their first division title since
2003. He finished the season with 65 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions one of which was returned for a touchdown.
On September 16, 2011, Flowers signed a five-year contract extension with the Chiefs worth $50 million with $22 million guaranteed.
In the Chiefs/Raiders game, Flowers picked the ball off twice, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Flowers finished the season with 59 tackles and 4 interceptions.
On June 13, 2014, the Chiefs released Flowers.
San Diego Chargers
![Brandon Flowers (Chargers)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Brandon_Flowers_%28Chargers%29.jpg)
On June 24, 2014, Flowers signed a one-year deal with the
San Diego Chargers. His decision was influenced by the opportunity to play against the Chiefs. On September 28, 2014, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Flowers picked off
Blake Bortles
Robby Blake Bortles (born April 28, 1992) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at UCF, where he received ...
, his first interception as a Charger. On October 5, 2014, versus the New York Jets, Flowers recorded his second interception of the season, intercepting
Geno Smith
Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl game ...
. On November 23, versus the St. Louis Rams, Flowers recorded his 3rd interception of the season, intercepting
Shaun Hill
Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...
. Flowers finished his first season in San Diego recording 52 total tackles (48 solo), going along with 3 interceptions, and 10 passes defended in 14 games played.
Flowers re-signed with the Chargers on a four-year, $36 million contract on March 8, 2015. After the departure of
Ryan Mathews he announced that he would switch his number to 24 (His previous number was 26). On December 12, 2015, he was placed on injured reserve.
Flowers appeared in six games in 2016 before suffering a concussion in Week 10. He was placed on injured reserve on December 14, 2016.
On March 7, 2017, Flowers was released by the Chargers.
Retirement
On August 8, 2017, Flowers announced his retirement from the NFL.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Flowers posed for
PETA's anti-fur campaign in December 2014 and became
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
in June 2015.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flowers, Brandon
1986 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Delray Beach, Florida
Players of American football from Florida
American football cornerbacks
Virginia Tech Hokies football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
San Diego Chargers players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Hargrave Military Academy alumni