Jackie Flowers

Jackie Flowers (born March 4, 1958 in Jacksonville, Florida)^[1] was a standout wide receiver at Raines High School, graduating in 1976. He accepted a scholarship at Florida State University where he was a four-year letterman. In 1978, he made 43 catches for 757 yards and 7 TDs, earning Honorable Mention All-American honors. In his senior year, he caught 37 passes for 622 yards and 7 TDs, plus a 2-point conversion. He was named Second team All-American for 1979.^[2][3]

The 6'2", 195-pound Flowers was drafted in the 9th round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He was the 246th pick overall, but was cut by the Cowboys in the pre-season and was not picked up by another team that year. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs in 1981, but was on the injured reserve list for the entire season before being released. He did not play in the 1982 season.^[4]

Flowers jumped to the USFL Arizona Wranglers in 1983 where he had 63 receptions for 869 yards and 11 TDs. The following year, he began playing for the Chicago Blitz, where he led the team with 51 catches for 904 yards with 8 TDs. He finished the year playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers after the two teams exchanged most of their players.^[4] Flowers made 30 catches for 373 yards but just 5 touchdowns in 1985 while playing for the Orlando Renegades, the final season of USFL operations.

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