Ereck Flowers – August 25, 2020
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Tuesday, August 25, 2020
G Ereck Flowers
(I wanted to ask you what the experience was like with COVID and how you got through that.) – “The first couple of days were rough. Then it’s like, you slowly just get over it. Then you have to work your way back with conditioning and your breathing and all of that stuff. I think they did a pretty good job of helping me work back before just throwing me onto the field. I think it went pretty smooth.”
(I pretty much watched you grow ever since you were in high school, seeing you working out at the L.A. Fitness gym back in the day. How has it been for you now coming full circle, playing high school ball here, college ball here and now coming back to your hometown to do what you’ve pretty much grown to want to do?) – “Yeah, it’s crazy because down here growing up, I’d go to the Dolphins camps, to their practices at the stadium, to their games. Then growing up in optimist, we had little – the stadium provided certain people – teams, like their optimist clubs and high schools – to work at the stadium to get fundraisers and all of that stuff. So I’ve grown up around it this whole time, from UM football to the Dolphins. It’s pretty crazy being able to play at all three levels at where you’re from; but I wouldn’t trade it for nothing, really. I’m extremely happy.”
(You stepped up and have sort of been the leader of a lot of these rookies, having them out here after practice. How important is that for you to step up and serve as a leader, considering you’re one of the most experienced offensive linemen on the team?) – “It’s very important. I didn’t learn the importance of that – practicing the right things and taking that extra time – it took me about four or five years. Coming into the league is all about what type of room you’re coming into. Every room isn’t the same. Everybody doesn’t come into rooms with a veteran or a coach that really teaches you the right way of how to become an NFL linemen. The past year I got to play with Bill Callahan, who by far has been the best teacher – not just in football – I’ve been around since I’ve been playing football. He’s taught me so much and being able to play next to a Pro Bowl right guard, Brandon Scherff. (Callahan) showed me some of the stuff he did with the Dallas o-line and just his resume, the proof is in the pudding. Going into my fifth year in the league, I kind of just forgot everything I knew and just tried to learn his way and the right way, and be around guys that do it the right way. That’s just how they do. Good players go before practice and stay after practice, and they put in countless reps to get any type of production.”
(I just wanted to ask you about the rookies in your room. You guys have maybe two or three rookies that may start or play for you guys at some point. What is it like to play with young guys now, as the veteran in the room?) – “It’s kind of crazy because this has been – it’s crazy to think that because this has been the fastest, kind of slow but fastest – like I’m in my sixth year. It’s kind of crazy looking at these young guys and they’re actually looking at me. I’m like, ‘Damn, just yesterday I was the young guy trying to find somebody to teach me how to do something this way.’ It’s been cool, man. All of them are open-minded. All of them are trying to learn. They’re all trying to get better. Me personally, I’m just trying to give them everything I know and take what I know and go on with their own experiences. I’m just doing what I can. They know if they have questions, they can ask me. Anything I see, I just try to tell them and I ask them to tell me what they see on my end. We just work together.”
(You talked about your practice habits and your career began at tackle and then you kicked inside to guard, and you have your best year last year in Washington. What do you think it is about playing inside that really suits your skillset so well?) – “I think I have decent length and arms, as far as getting on guys faster. I think that kind of plays a little bit more into my strengths as opposed to having shorter arms, as far as trying to get on guys. I’m taller, so I think that kind of helps. Also, I’m kind of a bigger dude, so I think it’s easier like right now, as opposed to trying to time it. I think I could play tackle but I wasn’t equipped with the right – what I know now, going back to it, it probably would’ve been different. But as far as guard, I like it because it’s right now and I’m more of a right now type of person.”
(You already mentioned that you’re in a teaching role now. Do you find yourself teaching G Danny Isidora a little bit more considering you both are from South Florida, both went to The U. Although you guys are around the same age, do you find yourself teaching him a little bit more since you have a little bit more of experience than him?) – “Yeah. I came into the league with Brandon Scherff and he taught me more than all of the older dudes I was with. I’m just relaying the info that was relayed to him and how it’s supposed to go. Me and Danny actually worked out together in the offseason. I brought my equipment and we tried to work, because COVID kind of messed a lot of things up. I think Danny is having a great camp. I think his hand placement has been really good and he’s doing really good out there; and it’s not me teaching him, I’m just relaying info that I got from somebody else to him.”
(With the size that you guys have, this whole line, you’re one of the bigger guys but you guys have a lot of girth. Do you think that will play well for you this season, especially in this heat?) – “I hope so. I really hope so. But it’s one of those leagues where any game – you just never know. You just try to go in there the most prepared as you can. I kind of hate that we don’t have any preseason games. We didn’t have OTAs. We didn’t have time to really gel. I think we’re going along fine but we’re going to have to wait and see. We’re going to have to get better every week – week after week after week – and really just continue to get better. I think that has to be the mindset to get to where we want to be. Wherever we start, just get better. It’s kind of unfortunate how it is right now.”
(I was wondering about Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall. I haven’t gotten to know him too well just yet. Is there something that he says all of the time?) – “Yeah. ‘Marsh’ has been great. I think he’s doing a great job with rookies like learning their assignments, and really trying to get them together. It’s really just going to take everybody. It’s going to take everybody because of how it is and how we just jumped into camp and guys are finally getting together and meeting each other, it’s kind of hard for him to go to every single player. But he’s trying to get to every single dude and get as much as he can get done. I think he’s doing a great job. Like I’ve said, we just have to keep getting better.”
