Dec. 22, 2007

By Bill Hass
theACC.com

• ACC Bowl Central

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Almost everyone who plays college football loves the game, but perhaps those who appreciate it the most are the ones who have had it taken away.

Brandon Flowers, a cornerback for Virginia Tech, looked ready-made for the college game in 2004. In his first outing, against Western Michigan, he intercepted a pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. It was a debut that left him feeling on top of the world.

And then, a short time later in the same game, everything came apart. He broke his leg going for a second interception and his season was abruptly over.

"My first reaction was `Why me?'" Flowers said. "My confidence was up and I was feeling good. Then it was all taken away."

It was up to Flowers to put his career back together - and that he did. He will be one of the key defenders on the field when the ACC champion Hokies play Kansas in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 3 (8:30 p.m. on Fox).

Getting to this point wasn't easy after he fell the wrong way and broke his fibula when a defender's helmet hit him on the knee in that Western Michigan game.

"Rehab was hard," Flowers said, "but the worst part was watching guys flying around and having fun in practice. I hated sitting on the sidelines, watching the guys I came in with. It was one of the hardest times I've had since I got here.

"But the injury matured me. I got to appreciate the speed of the game by watching it live. Now I'm extra thankful to be on the field because I know something can happen in the blink of an eye."

After the injury, Flowers picked up almost where he left off. His leg healed in time for spring ball in 2005 and, feeling no ill effects, he earned a starting berth. The last two seasons he has continued to get better and this year he was named second-team All-ACC and selected to several All-America teams.

Now a fourth-year junior, Flowers has added nine interceptions to that initial one, including five this season. One of those, against William & Mary, gave him a sense of déjà vu when he returned it 49 yards for a score.

"That took me back a little bit," he said. "It was the same interception (as the one in 2004), the same side of the field and almost the same yardage."

Returning a pick for a touchdown will make a highlight film, but it's not the only way Flowers can impact a game. He has 79 tackles, including 51 unassisted, and has broken up eight passes.

"He's the total package," said defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. "His technique and fundamentals are sound, he finishes on the ball and makes the tackle, he's rarely out of position, he plays within himself and he's very coachable. There's nothing that he's really weak in."

Flowers plays a crucial role in the Hokies' defensive scheme.

"We play more zone than man-to-man," Gray said, "but our zone concept puts him in man coverage about 70 percent of the time. He has to be a guy who can hold up and play well for everything else to work. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to do the things we do from a scheme standpoint."

While Flowers says the secret to making an interception is "trusting his instincts," he also puts in the requisite time studying film.

"I study everything about a wide receiver," he said. "Whether he raises or lowers his body, what he does with his hands. Those things can indicate what route he's going to run. So when I see something like that, I run to the spot like I'm shot out of a cannon."

That description fits the way he plays all the time. Gray said Flowers is laid back and quiet off the field, but when he gets to the stadium "a switch comes on and the competitor comes out."

Flowers said he's simply expressing his love for the game.

"My mom and grandmother tell me that all the time," he said, "that I'm laid back and don't say much. But when I'm on the field, I play every play like it's my last. If I have a chance to hit someone, I'll do it. I've been that way since I started playing when I was about 7 years old."

Gray, a Virginia Tech alumnus who played three years in the NFL, believes Flowers has the tools to play at that level. Flowers said he'll go through the process of being evaluated by the NFL, get a feel for where he might be drafted, talk things over with his family and then decide whether or not to return for his final season of eligibility.

But the next thing on his agenda is the FedEx Orange Bowl, particularly important to him because he's a Florida native (Delray Beach).

"Playing in this game is a dream come true," Flowers said. "It's a chance to show your skills and what you're all about."

The game pits a Kansas offense, ranked second in the nation in scoring (44.3 points per game), against the stout Hokie defense ranked second in points allowed (15.5 per game).

"They run a spread offense and love to throw the ball," Flowers said of the Jayhawks. "Their quarterback (Todd Reesing) is a fighter who likes to put the game on his back. It will be a big test for our secondary and our defense. But we like that. We don't back down from anyone."

Amid the emotion of the game, there's also a practical approach. A victory would give the Hokies a school-record 12th win.

"We've had a great season and we want to finish on top," Flowers said. "There's no sense in playing hard all season, getting to a bowl and then not winning."

Seven other ACC teams will join Virginia Tech in bowl games. They are, in chronological order:

Dec. 28 - Boston College vs. Michigan State in Champs Sports Bowl, Orlando, 5 p.m., ESPN.
Dec. 28 - Maryland vs. Oregon State in Emerald Bowl, San Francisco, 8:30 p.m., ESPN.
Dec. 29 - Wake Forest vs. Connecticut in Meineke Car Care Bowl, Charlotte, 1 p.m., ESPN.
Dec. 31 - Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State in Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Boise, 2 p.m., ESPN2.
Dec. 31 - Florida State vs. Kentucky in Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Nashville, 4 p.m., ESPN.
Dec. 31 - Clemson vs. Auburn in Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., ESPN.
Jan. 1 - Virginia vs. Texas Tech in Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, 1 p.m., CBS.

Bill Hass is a long-time observer of ACC sports. His career at the Greensboro News & Record spanned 36 years, from 1969 until his retirement in March, 2006. He is now writing "Bill Hass on the ACC" for theACC.com. His weekly columns will keep fans plugged in to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This article can not be copied or reproduced without the express written consent of the Atlantic Coast Conference.