Charlie Flowers

Flowers was born on June 28, 1937, in Marianna, Arkansas.{{Cite web |title=Ole Miss Great Charlie Flowers Passes Away |url=https://olemisssports.com/news/2014/12/7/Ole_Miss_Great_Charlie_Flowers_Passes_Away |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Ole Miss Athletics - Hotty Toddy |language=en}} His parents were both from Mississippi and he had a large family in Mississippi. As a high school sophomore, his Marianna High School coach Bill Landers took him to a University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) football game, and introduced Flowers to Ole Miss coach John Vaught. Flowers continued attending Ole Miss games during his high school years.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Jim |date=2010-02-17 |title=Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame: Flowers bloomed as Rebels fullback {{!}} Arkansas Democrat Gazette |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/feb/17/arkansas-sports-hall-fame-flowers-bloomed-20100217/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.arkansasonline.com |language=en}}

Flowers eventually attended the University of Mississippi, where he excelled as a football player and academically. He was 6 ft (1.83 m) and 198 pounds (89.8 kg) during his college playing days.

He played three varsity seasons on the football team (1957-1959), playing fullback and outside linebacker, under coach John Vaught. In his first season, he had only 59 rushing attempts, but averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. By his junior year, he had 107 attempts for 557 yards and two touchdowns, and in his senior year, Waters had 141 attempts for 733 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns.{{Cite web |title=Charlie Flowers College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/charlie-flowers-1.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fame |first=Mississippi Sports Hall of |date=2014-12-08 |title=Charlie Flowers: Best player, greatest team |url=https://msfame.com/charlie-flowers-best-player-greatest-team/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame |language=en}} He led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in rushing yards and touchdowns in 1959.

In 1959, Flowers was a first team consensus All-American, and an Academic All-American for the second time. He was also named to the All-South team. He was twice named the national and SEC Back of the Week that year,{{Cite web |title=Charlie Flowers, Sr. Obituary - Sandy Springs, GA |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/sandy-springs-ga/charlie-flowers-sr-6227790 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Dignity Memorial |language=en-us}} and led the SEC in scoring, rushing, and rushing touchdowns. He was second nationally in rushing touchdowns and sixth in rushing yards. He was fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. As a linebacker, he lined up behind three year teammate Larry Grantham at defensive end.{{Cite web |title=Ole Miss and New York Jets Great Larry Grantham Passes Away |url=https://olemisssports.com/news/2017/6/19/Ole_Miss_and_New_York_Jets_Great_Larry_Grantham_Passes_Away |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Ole Miss Athletics - Hotty Toddy |language=en}}

The 1959 Ole Miss team had a 10–1 record and won the 1960 Sugar Bowl over Louisiana State University (LSU) 21–0; the only team Ole Miss lost to during the season.{{Cite web |title=1959 Ole Miss Rebels Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/mississippi/1959-schedule.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} He was team captain that year, and its leader. During the year, Ole Miss outscored its opponents 350–21 with eight shutouts. Flowers took particular pride in the fact that 42 of the team's 43 players graduated, and many earned considerable achievements in their lives.{{Cite web |last=Cleveland |first=Rick |date=December 9, 2014 |title=Cleveland: We all lost a great one in Flowers |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2014/12/10/cleveland-lost-great-one-flowers/20180591/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}} The team was ranked number 2 at the end of the season, behind 10–0 Syracuse,{{Cite web |title=1959 Final Football Polls {{!}} College Poll Archive |url=https://collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1959 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=collegepollarchive.com}}{{Cite web |title=1959 College Football Polls |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1959-polls.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} which Flowers believed was because of the one loss to LSU. He blamed himself for missing the tackle on LSU Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon that allowed the one, winning, touchdown in the game.

In his three years at Ole Miss, the team was 28–4–1, and also won the 1958 Sugar Bowl over the University of Texas, 39–7.{{Cite web |title=24th Annual Sugar Bowl Classic ~ January 1, 1958 |url=https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/15/24th-annual-sugar-bowl-classic-january-1-1958.aspx |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Sugar Bowl |language=en}} On December 27, 1958, Ole Miss won the Gator Bowl over the University of Florida, 7–3.{{Cite web |title=Gator Bowl - Ole Miss vs Florida Box Score, December 27, 1958 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1958-12-27-florida.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} In 1957, Ole Miss went 8–1–1 and was ranked 7th, and in 1958, it had an 8–2 record and was ranked 11th nationally.{{Cite web |title=1957 Final Football Polls {{!}} College Poll Archive |url=https://collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1957#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=collegepollarchive.com}}{{Cite web |title=1958 Final Football Polls {{!}} College Poll Archive |url=https://collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?seasonid=1958#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=collegepollarchive.com}} Flowers was twice named All-SEC as a player. At the end of his college career, Flowers had gained 1,730 yards rushing, which was a school record at the time, as was his 5.64 yards per carry average.

Flowers was selected by the National Football League's (NFL) New York Giants in the 12th round of the 1959 NFL draft (heading into the 1960 season).{{Cite web |title=1959 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1959/draft.htm |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} In December 1959, he was signed by the Giants. However, in order to retain his eligibility to play in the Sugar Bowl, he requested to keep the contract a secret until January 2, 1960. Wellington Mara accepted this request and the team did not submit the contract to league commissioner Pete Rozelle for approval. Flowers was also drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in late 1959, in the first American Football League Draft.{{Cite web |title=1960 AFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1960_AFL/draft.htm |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The AFL's first draft {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2009/10/news-the-afl-s-first-draft/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=pfhof |language=en}} The Chargers offered him more money to play for them. He accepted their offer and withdrew from his contract with the Giants. The Giants attempted to enforce the contract, but their plea was rejected due to their unclean hands.Paul C. Weiler et al., Sports and the Law: Text, Case and Problems 110–11 (4th ed. 2011).

As a professional player, Flowers was listed at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and 220 pounds (99.8 kg). Flowers professional career was limited by an ankle injury. He played sparingly in his first season, starting only two games. The team moved to San Diego the following year, and Flowers started 9 games, but still only had 51 rushing attempts (to go along with 16 receptions). In August 1962, he was traded to the New York Titans (known later as the New York Jets) for a draft pick, for what would be his final season.{{Cite news |date=1962-08-31 |title=TITANS COMPLETE TRADE FOR BACK; Flowers Signs and Chargers Will Get a Draft Choice |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/08/31/archives/titans-complete-trade-for-back-flowers-signs-and-chargers-will-get.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=Charlie Flowers Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FlowCh00.htm |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Hogrogian |first=John |date=1991 |title=The Last Fall of The Titans, The Coffin Corner (Vol. 13 No. 2) |url=https://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-02-420.pdf |website=profootballresearchers.org}} He started three games that year, dislocating his ankle in the Titans' third game, against the Buffalo Bills. He was released by the Titans after their fourth game, and never played again.{{Cite web |title=New York Titans at Buffalo Bills - September 22nd, 1962 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196209220buf.htm |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Flowers has received the following awards and honors, among others;

• College Football Hall of Fame (1997){{Cite web |title=Charlie Flowers (1997) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/honors/hall-of-fame/charlie-flowers/1825 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}
• Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (2010){{Cite web |title=Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://www.arksportshalloffame.com/_files/ugd/d0ba04_0de89b7a293849f89332ec86c08c6564.pdf |website=arksportshalloffame.com}}
• SEC Legends Class of 1999
• Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame (1988)
• Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1985)
• All-Time Sugar Bowl Team for 1955-62
• Ole Miss Team of the Century (1992)
• Distinguished American Award, Ole Miss Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (1985)

In 1962, Flowers received his law degree from Ole Miss. After moving to Atlanta in 1965, he sold municipal bonds for various large firms, eventually holding the position of vice-president, until his retirement.

Flowers died on December 7, 2014, at the age of 77 following a long illness.{{cite web |url=http://www.wtva.com/content/news/sports/story/Ole-Miss-football-great-Charlie-Flowers-dead-at-77/scWysbtivkipvvKNZjeH1g.cspx |title=Ole Miss football great Charlie Flowers dead at 77 • WTVA.com |accessdate=2015-01-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20141208031318/http://www.wtva.com/content/news/sports/story/Ole-Miss-football-great-Charlie-Flowers-dead-at-77/scWysbtivkipvvKNZjeH1g.cspx |archivedate=2014-12-08 }} He was married to his wife Sharon for 55 years, and had three children. After his death, the Charlie Flowers Leadership Fund for Athletics was established at Ole Miss, aimed at student-athletes.{{Cite web |last=Dabney |first=Bill |date=2016-02-21 |title=Scholarship Honors Ole Miss Football Great |url=https://news.olemiss.edu/scholarship-honors-ole-miss-football-great/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Ole Miss News |language=en-US}}

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Category:1937 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:All-American college football players

Category:American football fullbacks

Category:Ole Miss Rebels football players

Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Category:Los Angeles Chargers players

Category:San Diego Chargers players

Category:New York Titans (AFL) players

Category:People from Marianna, Arkansas

Category:Players of American football from Arkansas

Category:American Football League players

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