Robert Lee "Trey" Flowers III[1] (born August 16, 1993) is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football at Arkansas and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Flowers has also played for the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.

Trey Flowers
refer to caption
Flowers in 2019
Personal information
Born: (1993-08-16) August 16, 1993 (age 31)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:Columbia (Huntsville, Alabama)
College:Arkansas (2011–2014)
Position:Defensive end
NFL draft:2015 / round: 4 / pick: 101
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:265
Sacks:31.5
Forced fumbles:10
Fumble recoveries:4
Pass deflections:7
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Flowers attended Columbia High School in Huntsville, Alabama.[2] He was ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit.[3] He originally committed to Georgia Tech to play college football but changed to the University of Arkansas.[4] Flowers also played basketball in high school.

College career

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Flowers played in all 13 games with three starts as a true freshman in 2011, recording 28 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack.[5]

As a sophomore in 2012, Flowers started all 13 games, recording 50 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks.[6]

Flowers started 11 games as a junior in 2013, missing one due to injury. He finished the year with 44 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks.[7] He also recorded an interception and three forced fumbles. After his junior season, Flowers considered entering the 2014 NFL draft and received a third-round draft grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but he eventually chose to return to Arkansas for his senior year.[8][9][10]

In his last season playing for the Razorbacks, Flowers led the team in tackles for loss and sacks, respectively with 15.5 and six. He finished his collegiate career with 190 tackles, 47.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, an interception, 13 passes defended, and four forced fumbles.[11]

Professional career

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Pre-draft

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+18 in
(1.88 m)
266 lb
(121 kg)
34+14 in
(0.87 m)
10 in
(0.25 m)
4.85 s 1.63 s 2.82 s 4.40 s 7.26 s 36.5 in
(0.93 m)
10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)
28 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13][14]

At the 2015 NFL Combine, Flowers was a top performer in the vertical and broad jump.

New England Patriots (first stint)

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2015 season

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The New England Patriots selected Flowers in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2015 NFL draft. The pick used to draft him was acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with tight end Tim Wright in exchange for Logan Mankins.[15] In the first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Flowers sacked Aaron Rodgers but later left the game with a shoulder injury.[16] Flowers made the Patriots 53-man roster but was only active for one game before being placed on injured reserve on December 1, 2015.[17]

2016 season

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After missing most of his rookie season due to injury, Flowers had a breakout season in 2016. During a Week 8 41–25 road victory the Buffalo Bills, he recorded his first two NFL sacks on quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel while tacking on five tackles.[18] Flowers played in all 16 regular season games starting in the final eight, finishing the season leading the team in sacks with seven, all coming in the last nine games of the season. He also led the team with 2.5 sacks in the Patriots' 34–28 overtime victory in Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons on February 5, 2017.[19] These included the crucial second down sack with 3:55 to go in the fourth quarter that helped push the Falcons out of field goal range, allowing the Patriots to tie the game on the following possession, completing their 25-point comeback.[20]

2017 season

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After a breakout season in 2016, Flowers began the way he ended the previous season, recording two sacks in the season-opening 42–27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[21] Despite suffering a rib injury Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins, Flowers started 14 games and led the team with 6.5 sacks. Flowers helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LII, but the team lost 41–33 to the Philadelphia Eagles with Flowers recording five tackles in the Super Bowl.

2018 season

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During Week 1 against the Houston Texans, Flowers had 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In the next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he forced a fumble but was later ruled out of the game after suffering a concussion. Flowers finished the season with 57 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. The Patriots beat both the Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs to reach Super Bowl LIII where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.[22] Flowers had three tackles in the game.[23]

Detroit Lions

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2019 season

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On March 14, 2019, Flowers signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Detroit Lions.[24][25] The signing reunited Flowers with former Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola, who signed with the Lions three days earlier, alongside former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who became the Lions' head coach in the prior season. In Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Flowers recorded a team high eight tackles and sacked Carson Wentz once as the Lions won 27–24.[26] Three weeks later, Flowers was called for two controversial and costly hands to the face penalties on Monday Night Football in a narrow 22–23 loss to the Green Bay Packers.[27] Two weeks later against the New York Giants, Flowers recorded a season high two sacks on Daniel Jones in the 31–26 victory.[28]

2020 season

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In Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, Flowers recorded his first sack of the season on Mitchell Trubisky during the 27–23 loss.[29] In Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Flowers recorded a strip sack on Gardner Minshew which was recovered by the Lions during the 34–16 victory.[30] Flowers was placed on injured reserve on November 2 after suffering an injury in Week 8.[31]

2021 season

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On December 4, 2021, Flowers was placed on injured reserve.

On March 16, 2022, the Lions released Flowers.[32]

Miami Dolphins

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On August 28, 2022, the Miami Dolphins signed Flowers.[33] On October 19, 2022, Flowers was placed on injured reserve.[34]

New England Patriots (second stint)

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On August 8, 2023, Flowers signed with the New England Patriots.[35] He was placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season.[36][37] The Patriots then released Flowers on October 24.[38]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2015 NE 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016 NE 16 8 45 23 22 7.0 0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2 -3 0
2017 NE 14 14 62 45 17 6.5 0 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0
2018 NE 15 15 57 32 25 7.5 0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 0 0 0
2019 DET 15 15 51 33 18 7.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0
2020 DET 7 5 22 12 10 2.0 0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1 4 0
2021 DET 7 7 24 15 9 1.5 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Total 75 64 261 160 101 31.5 0 7 0 0 0.0 0 0 10 4 1 0

Postseason

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2015 NE 0 0 DNP
2016 NE 3 3 16 6 10 2.5 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017 NE 3 3 17 10 7 1.0 0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018 NE 3 3 6 5 1 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 9 9 39 21 18 5.5 0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ "The story behind his nickname and more fun facts. 47 seconds with @iii_flowers & @47Brand".
  2. ^ Easterling, Mike (November 21, 2011). "Arkansas true freshman and Huntsville native Trey Flowers looking forward to clash at LSU". AL.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "Rivals.com". sports.yahoo.com.
  4. ^ "Arkansas coaches 'more welcoming' than GT's? Flowers thought so". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014.
  5. ^ "Trey Flowers College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". Sports Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "Trey Flowers 2012 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  7. ^ writer, Pat Dooley Staff. "SEC's Top 25 Players: No. 7 Trey Flowers". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  8. ^ "Flowers stays planted with Razorbacks". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "Flowers' return provides boost for Arkansas". August 5, 2014.
  10. ^ Toppmeyer, Blake. "Flowers returns favor to Razorbacks". Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  11. ^ "Trey Flowers Career Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  12. ^ "Trey Flowers Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. ^ "2015 Draft Scout Trey Flowers, Arkansas NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  14. ^ "2015 Combine workout: Trey Flowers". nfl.com. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  16. ^ Cox, Zach (August 13, 2015). "Patriots' Trey Flowers Sacks Aaron Rodgers, Then Leaves With Injury". NESN.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  17. ^ "Patriots sign Damaris Johnson, claim Trey Williams off waivers, place Trey Flowers on IR, sign Austin Hill to Practice Squad". Patriots.com. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  18. ^ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - October 30th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  19. ^ "Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons - February 5th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  20. ^ "Patriots-Falcons Takeaways: Trey Flowers Saves Career Game For Super Bowl LI". February 6, 2017.
  21. ^ "Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots - September 7th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  22. ^ Shpigel, Ben (February 4, 2019). "Patriots Win in Lowest-Scoring Super Bowl Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  23. ^ "Trey Flowers issues reminder of Super Bowl dominance".
  24. ^ Rogers, Justin (March 12, 2019). "Trey Flowers' deal with Lions for 5 years, worth $90 million". The Detroit News. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  25. ^ "Lions sign three unrestricted free agents". DetroitLions.com. March 14, 2019.
  26. ^ "Stafford, Agnew lead Lions over Eagles 27-24". ESPN. September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "Packers get the calls, Crosby hits late FG to beat Lions". ESPN. October 13, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  28. ^ "Stafford-led Lions beat Giants 31-26 and end 3-game skid". ESPN. October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  29. ^ Mayer, Larry (September 13, 2020). "Game Recap: Bears open season with remarkable comeback win". Chicago Bears. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  30. ^ "Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars – October 18th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  31. ^ "Detroit Lions place Trey Flowers on injured reserve. Here's how long he'll be out". Detroit Free Press. November 2, 2020.
  32. ^ Twentyman, Tim (March 16, 2022). "Lions release OLB Trey Flowers".
  33. ^ "Dolphins sign Flowers". MiamiDolphins.com. August 29, 2022.
  34. ^ Mendel, Jake (October 19, 2022). "Dolphins place Nik Needham and Trey Flowers on injured reserve". The Phinsider. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  35. ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (August 8, 2023). "Report: Patriots sign veteran defensive end Trey Flowers". SBNation.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  36. ^ Williams, Charean (August 8, 2023). "Patriots place Trey Flowers on active/PUP". NBCSports.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  37. ^ "Patriots Make Roster Moves to Reach the 53-Man Roster Limit". Patriots.com. August 29, 2023.
  38. ^ "Patriots Release Two Players". Patriots.com. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
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