NFL Draft: Zay Flowers’ 8 weeks to run 40 yards
NFL
(Editor’s note: The story that follows originally published shortly before the opening of the 2023 NFL Draft. A few hours later, the Baltimore Ravens selected Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick. The Pro Football Hall of Fame had the opportunity to speak with some of the next wave of talent preparing to enter the National Football League. Jacob Ray, a member of the Hall’s Youth, Education & Leadership Team, sat with Flowers, a receiver from Boston College, to gain insight about his hopes, dreams and process for getting himself ready for pro football.)
It takes eight weeks to learn how to run 40 yards.
What seems simple to the everyday sports fan is far from that. In 2023, 319 NFL prospects had the chance to run these 40 yards — each looking to reach the lifelong goal of many growing up: making it to the NFL. For Zay Flowers, this was the case.
“Honestly, it took eight weeks to learn how to run — technique, gaining weight, hitting every part of the 40. Starting in the right stance, putting your hand in the right position, having your hand at a certain length, jumping out a certain way, first seven steps a certain way, last 20 yards a certain way … It’s not just (get) down and run.”
This preparation marked a small, but pivotal, step in Flowers’ journey. And it’s a look into the football player and the person.
“It takes a lot of work to run anything. Out there, you are battling yourself every time … it’s all a mind a game,” Flowers said. “You just have to stay on the right track and keep your mentals right.”
Flowers made the most of his time at the NFL Combine, posting numbers to solidify him as one of the top wide receivers in this year’s class. He posted a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, using those skills he learned in his preparation. In all, the NFL NextGen Stats ranks him as the sixth-best wide receiver coming out of the NFL Combine and NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to NFL Legend Travis Benjamin.
Zierlein called Flowers a “slot target who plays with unbridled energy and immense confidence … Flowers has the skill set to become a valuable playmaker as a pro.”
This mindset did not start with his time at the NFL Combine. It started when Xavien Kevonn Flowers, or “Zay,” was born in a hot bed of football — Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Growing up the son of Willie Flowers and Jackie Walden, Zay had 13 siblings – causing him to learn the idea of “team” sooner than many others.
“My mom put us in football when we were 4 years old. We had to learn what a team was before we knew what a team even was ... We had a team as a family, so it worked out perfect,” he said.
It was all history from there.
After his mother passed, Flowers’ dad kept this idea of “team” prevalent, helping make some of the biggest decisions in Zay’s life. Everything he does and goes through, he shares with his family, and everyone enjoys his successes.
“I have a love for football that I can’t even explain,” Flowers said.
The game has been part of his life for most of his life. And he is about to reach a goal he has worked toward for the past 18 years. “When I made my first tackle, playing against the North Broward Raiders, I fell in love with football. The NFL has always been the end goal.”
Flowers focused on this goal while at high school at NSU University School in Davie, Fla. That high school has produced two NBA players in the past two years (Scottie Barnes, the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year; and Vernon Carey Jr.), the voice of 1992’s “Aladdin” (Scott Weinger) and four NFL players.
Coming out of high school, though, Flowers called himself a “late bloomer.” While many of his teammates were receiving college offers, he had a limited number to consider — and none from the big Florida schools.
Flowers said three things stood out to him though from his time as a high school football player: self-motivation, patience and confidence. “I believed in myself, believed I could do anything.”
These traits helped lead him north to Boston College, where Flowers believed he could write his own story. He said “playing early and the education” attracted him to the Eagles’ program.
“They gave me an opportunity to accomplish my dreams,” he said. “The chance to make history in a place where history hasn’t been made yet.”
After his sophomore collegiate season, the NFL became a realistic expectation. In a season in which he made first-team All-ACC — only the second BC wide receiver to accomplish that feat — Flowers caught 56 passes for 892 yards and nine touchdowns, including a six-reception, 192-yard game against Pitt capped with a game-winning touchdown in overtime.
One option could have seen Flowers take the route of coasting to the NFL, but he reset his goal: be a top receiver picked in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While prepping for the NFL Combine, going on team visits and staying in shape, Flowers knows one thing: that either April 27 or April 28, his life will be changed forever. To hear his name called “will mean everything” to him.
“Everything I have worked for, put my work into ... looking back at everything and knowing it was worth it. I might cry. I might not. I might smile,” he said. “All I know is that I am going to give my dad a hug.”
Whenever Flowers’ moment comes during the draft, the entire family will celebrate — something important to him.
“One thousand percent worth it,” he said. “Seeing my family jump up and down, that is what I am really looking forward to. As soon as I put down that phone, on stage or hugging my dad at home, I am going to enjoy that family moment.”
Flowers will get the chance to experience this moment in person, as he was one of the 17 prospects invited to be at the NFL Draft at Union Station in Kansas City.
Mel Kiper, the renowned football analyst and draft expert from ESPN, would agree with the NFL’s decision to invite Zay to the draft — naming him one of his favorite prospects at every position.
“I called dibs on Flowers as my guy in this class all the way back in December,” Kiper stated. “I just love the way he plays. He’s explosive, and is great after the catch … The other thing I like about Flowers? He easily could have transferred to a top 10 program last year, but he chose to stick it out at Boston College — and got better.”
Kiper has Flowers as his top-ranked receiver (No. 10 prospect overall) and believes he will be drafted somewhere in the 20s during the first round.
Several NFL teams believe in his potential, too. Flowers has taken top 30 visits to the Saints, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders, Patriots and Titans. And just when he thought his visits were over, he got a call from the Kansas City Chiefs asking him to go to Texas to work out with their two-time MVP quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
While he waits eagerly for his name to be announced, Flowers reflects upon where he came from and what he is about to go through. He’s trying to soak in every moment.
“I’d see Sean Payton, and was like, ‘Woah, that’s crazy.’ And then other players like Cris Carter. It was like, ‘I’m almost at that stage.’ ”
Others influenced Flowers. Growing up, he was a big fan of former Panthers receiver and NFL Legend Steve Smith Sr., but Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS had the biggest influence.
“He was exciting and made big plays. Every game, he is going to make a big play and you can count on it,” Flowers said. “That is what I try to do — go out and make the big plays. I try to do something crazy every game to see everybody get hyped.”
Like Moss and 370 other Hall of Famers experienced, Flowers knows reaching Canton means something more than being a great football player.
“They put the work in and established themselves. They made sure whatever they did, they did it at ‘100’ — that is what that Gold Jacket means,” he said. “You do it consistently. You don’t do it one time, you do it every game you go out.”
One of those Hall of Famers knows a thing or two about selecting talent to make his teams better — so good, in fact, he ended up in Canton.
BILL POLIAN, who spent 32 seasons in the NFL and helped lead teams to five Super Bowl appearances, has this to say about Zay: “He has ideal speed and burst. He is a good route runner with excellent separation skill. His hands are quick, soft and reliable. He will fight for contested throws and is tough enough to work over the middle. He can certainly play outside and is quick enough to play in the slot if needed there. I expect his name will be called no later than Day 2 and possibly even in Round 1.”
Football has changed Flowers’ life. It taught him lessons like patience and confidence. It allowed him to write his own story, create his own path. Beyond that, he knows what football’s impact has had on him.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It gives me a space to focus and not worry about the outside world. … You just go in there and block out everything. It gave me more than I could ask for, and I am blessed to have football be a part of my life.”
His next chapter could begin as soon as tonight.
It takes eight weeks to learn how to run 40 yards.
What seems simple to the everyday sports fan is far from that. In 2023, 319 NFL prospects had the chance to run these 40 yards — each looking to reach the lifelong goal of many growing up: making it to the NFL. For Zay Flowers, this was the case.
“Honestly, it took eight weeks to learn how to run — technique, gaining weight, hitting every part of the 40. Starting in the right stance, putting your hand in the right position, having your hand at a certain length, jumping out a certain way, first seven steps a certain way, last 20 yards a certain way … It’s not just (get) down and run.”
This preparation marked a small, but pivotal, step in Flowers’ journey. And it’s a look into the football player and the person.
“It takes a lot of work to run anything. Out there, you are battling yourself every time … it’s all a mind a game,” Flowers said. “You just have to stay on the right track and keep your mentals right.”
Flowers made the most of his time at the NFL Combine, posting numbers to solidify him as one of the top wide receivers in this year’s class. He posted a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, using those skills he learned in his preparation. In all, the NFL NextGen Stats ranks him as the sixth-best wide receiver coming out of the NFL Combine and NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to NFL Legend Travis Benjamin.
Zierlein called Flowers a “slot target who plays with unbridled energy and immense confidence … Flowers has the skill set to become a valuable playmaker as a pro.”
This mindset did not start with his time at the NFL Combine. It started when Xavien Kevonn Flowers, or “Zay,” was born in a hot bed of football — Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Growing up the son of Willie Flowers and Jackie Walden, Zay had 13 siblings – causing him to learn the idea of “team” sooner than many others.
“My mom put us in football when we were 4 years old. We had to learn what a team was before we knew what a team even was ... We had a team as a family, so it worked out perfect,” he said.
It was all history from there.
After his mother passed, Flowers’ dad kept this idea of “team” prevalent, helping make some of the biggest decisions in Zay’s life. Everything he does and goes through, he shares with his family, and everyone enjoys his successes.
“I have a love for football that I can’t even explain,” Flowers said.
The game has been part of his life for most of his life. And he is about to reach a goal he has worked toward for the past 18 years. “When I made my first tackle, playing against the North Broward Raiders, I fell in love with football. The NFL has always been the end goal.”
A late bloomer
Flowers focused on this goal while at high school at NSU University School in Davie, Fla. That high school has produced two NBA players in the past two years (Scottie Barnes, the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year; and Vernon Carey Jr.), the voice of 1992’s “Aladdin” (Scott Weinger) and four NFL players.
Coming out of high school, though, Flowers called himself a “late bloomer.” While many of his teammates were receiving college offers, he had a limited number to consider — and none from the big Florida schools.
Flowers said three things stood out to him though from his time as a high school football player: self-motivation, patience and confidence. “I believed in myself, believed I could do anything.”
These traits helped lead him north to Boston College, where Flowers believed he could write his own story. He said “playing early and the education” attracted him to the Eagles’ program.
“They gave me an opportunity to accomplish my dreams,” he said. “The chance to make history in a place where history hasn’t been made yet.”
After his sophomore collegiate season, the NFL became a realistic expectation. In a season in which he made first-team All-ACC — only the second BC wide receiver to accomplish that feat — Flowers caught 56 passes for 892 yards and nine touchdowns, including a six-reception, 192-yard game against Pitt capped with a game-winning touchdown in overtime.
One option could have seen Flowers take the route of coasting to the NFL, but he reset his goal: be a top receiver picked in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While prepping for the NFL Combine, going on team visits and staying in shape, Flowers knows one thing: that either April 27 or April 28, his life will be changed forever. To hear his name called “will mean everything” to him.
“Everything I have worked for, put my work into ... looking back at everything and knowing it was worth it. I might cry. I might not. I might smile,” he said. “All I know is that I am going to give my dad a hug.”
Whenever Flowers’ moment comes during the draft, the entire family will celebrate — something important to him.
“One thousand percent worth it,” he said. “Seeing my family jump up and down, that is what I am really looking forward to. As soon as I put down that phone, on stage or hugging my dad at home, I am going to enjoy that family moment.”
Invited to Kansas City
Flowers will get the chance to experience this moment in person, as he was one of the 17 prospects invited to be at the NFL Draft at Union Station in Kansas City.
Mel Kiper, the renowned football analyst and draft expert from ESPN, would agree with the NFL’s decision to invite Zay to the draft — naming him one of his favorite prospects at every position.
“I called dibs on Flowers as my guy in this class all the way back in December,” Kiper stated. “I just love the way he plays. He’s explosive, and is great after the catch … The other thing I like about Flowers? He easily could have transferred to a top 10 program last year, but he chose to stick it out at Boston College — and got better.”
Kiper has Flowers as his top-ranked receiver (No. 10 prospect overall) and believes he will be drafted somewhere in the 20s during the first round.
Several NFL teams believe in his potential, too. Flowers has taken top 30 visits to the Saints, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders, Patriots and Titans. And just when he thought his visits were over, he got a call from the Kansas City Chiefs asking him to go to Texas to work out with their two-time MVP quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
While he waits eagerly for his name to be announced, Flowers reflects upon where he came from and what he is about to go through. He’s trying to soak in every moment.
“I’d see Sean Payton, and was like, ‘Woah, that’s crazy.’ And then other players like Cris Carter. It was like, ‘I’m almost at that stage.’ ”
Others influenced Flowers. Growing up, he was a big fan of former Panthers receiver and NFL Legend Steve Smith Sr., but Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS had the biggest influence.
“He was exciting and made big plays. Every game, he is going to make a big play and you can count on it,” Flowers said. “That is what I try to do — go out and make the big plays. I try to do something crazy every game to see everybody get hyped.”
Like Moss and 370 other Hall of Famers experienced, Flowers knows reaching Canton means something more than being a great football player.
“They put the work in and established themselves. They made sure whatever they did, they did it at ‘100’ — that is what that Gold Jacket means,” he said. “You do it consistently. You don’t do it one time, you do it every game you go out.”
One of those Hall of Famers knows a thing or two about selecting talent to make his teams better — so good, in fact, he ended up in Canton.
BILL POLIAN, who spent 32 seasons in the NFL and helped lead teams to five Super Bowl appearances, has this to say about Zay: “He has ideal speed and burst. He is a good route runner with excellent separation skill. His hands are quick, soft and reliable. He will fight for contested throws and is tough enough to work over the middle. He can certainly play outside and is quick enough to play in the slot if needed there. I expect his name will be called no later than Day 2 and possibly even in Round 1.”
Football has changed Flowers’ life. It taught him lessons like patience and confidence. It allowed him to write his own story, create his own path. Beyond that, he knows what football’s impact has had on him.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It gives me a space to focus and not worry about the outside world. … You just go in there and block out everything. It gave me more than I could ask for, and I am blessed to have football be a part of my life.”
His next chapter could begin as soon as tonight.
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