‘A surreal feeling’: Malik Flowers etches name into Montana record books after embracing special teams

MISSOULA — Malik Flowers entered the 2022 season needing simply 86 yards to develop into Montana’s all-time kick return yards chief.

Downside is, nobody kicks to him anymore.

So, Flowers finds different methods to maintain himself busy on particular groups.

“In all probability get used to the junk stuff and talk extra with the fellows up entrance,” Flowers stated. “As a result of if I am not going to get a deep kick, I do know they have been giving us junk stuff with the squib kicks, the pop overs, so simply speaking, giving the calls up entrance to allow them to know when to get it if it is rolling too sluggish or simply speaking with the off returner in the event that they received to get the ball as properly.

“Blocking, speaking and simply being there to again up anybody if the ball does come flying via the outlet they usually cannot get to it, I may be there as a security web.”

In a method, it is a praise to Flowers’ profession at Montana that groups stopped kicking his method.

He is been a risk within the kicking sport since he stepped on campus at UM, and he holds the college document with 5 touchdowns, good for third all-time in FCS historical past.

However towards Idaho, Flowers lastly received a kick he may return, and he broke Rob Schulte’s profession yards document of two,129, in what was a particular second for the senior. Flowers at the moment sits at 2,238 kick return yards in his profession, and has fielded simply seven kickoffs this season due to groups avoiding him.

“Actually, only a surreal feeling simply to know that after all of the returns and stuff my title will form of go down in historical past a bit of bit,” Flowers stated. “And simply kudos to all the guys that have been main me via the years as a result of I could not do it on my own, nevertheless it’s good to perform that, so I felt good about myself. It was good to really get a return for as soon as and never have them kick it away from me so it was fairly good to get the ball in my fingers and transfer round a bit of bit.”

A quarterback in highschool, Flowers’ capacity to embrace particular groups received him on the sector immediately when he arrived at Montana the place he is made essentially the most of his alternative.

“I feel it actually helped me in a method as a result of I felt like if I’d’ve had a distinct angle towards it, it will’ve undoubtedly hindered me from having the ability to do what I’ve in particular groups so I am glad that I had that good head on my shoulders,” Flowers stated. “I used to be like Malik, simply assault it a day at a time, do it in addition to you possibly can to the perfect of your talents and simply have a superb angle in the direction of it and it is undoubtedly paid off so I am blissful that I caught with it and went as arduous as I did with it.

“It was undoubtedly simply getting in and serving to anyway I can to get on the sector. After I first got here in it was simply getting used to the system, build up that confidence to get on the market and make these performs constantly, so particular groups is sort of a stepping stone only for me to get on the sector and assist the crew in any method I can, so when it got here to blocking a kick or taking place there and fielding somebody on punt return, getting some tackles, it was simply good to be on the sector so I used to be like if you are going to be on the market, attempt to make a play in any method you possibly can, it is no sense to be dwelling on what you possibly can’t be doing proper now simply take advantage of the chance that you simply do have.”

Final 12 months Flowers started to see an expanded function on offense as properly, and he is carried that throughout to his senior 12 months. This 12 months he is caught career-highs in passes (16) and receiving yards (233) to go together with one rating.

However for a child who moved to the Treasure State from California to provide school soccer a shot, Flowers has stepped up at any time when known as upon in no matter function, and embraced his time in Missoula with the Grizzlies.

“So once I first received right here it was form of a tradition shock a bit of, however as soon as I received used to the individuals, received used to the chilly, it has been good to me,” Flowers stated. “I really like the summers, I really like experiencing each season out right here, the followers are wonderful. It is an awesome place to stay and there is a lot to do out right here other than soccer. So once I’m not taking part in soccer it is only a good place to be round and the individuals are nice too, so undoubtedly coming from Cali to Missoula I’ve liked it, my expertise right here has been nice.

“After all there’s been ups and downs however you simply take it on the chin for what it’s and I would not change it, it has been good.”