We’re back with another episode of 4th And South, and today’s guest is the one and only Zay Flowers.
First round draft pick, 22nd overall. Boston College standout. 2x First-Team All-ACC. 2x NFL Pro Bowler. South Florida native.
The legend, the great – Zay Flowers.
Zay pulled up and chopped it up with us about everything from that wild Steelers ending to the changes in Baltimore, his connection with Lamar Jackson, the family foundation that drives him, and more.
The Missed Kick & Ravens-Steelers Rivalry
We opened by revisiting the moment that ended Baltimore’s season, asking Zay what it was really like to be on that field when the kick missed.
Take us through what happened on that field goal in Pittsburgh.
It was crazy, because when Likely caught it, I was like, ‘Damn, we’re close.’ You’re at the 20, so it felt like we were right there.
But from a kicker perspective, you’ve got to add the 10 yards… you’ve got to add the seven. So I’m thinking we good.
So when I’m on the field, I’m talking trash. Like, game over.
Then I’m walking off and I look back and I’m like, damn, we’re kind of far.
I put my helmet down – I ain’t even going to look.
Kick. Boom. Somebody said he made it.
So I turn around hyped, but I see all the yellow towels just waving and screaming. I see the kicker on the field crying.
I’m like, “oh my god.”
I just put my helmet on and took off straight to the locker room. And I was just talking trash too. That’s what killed me.
Do you think watching it instead of turning away could have changed the outcome?
My eyes aren’t controlling his leg.
But two days before the game they switched out the whole field grass. It was still a little wet. And they had a priest out there putting holy water on the field. I’m like, bro, every time we play them, they do something weird out there.
Entering that Ravens-Steelers rivalry as a younger player, did you feel the inherited beef at all?
I ain’t got as much history with them as the older guys.
But going in, you know the rivalry, you know what’s going on.
I’m just going out there to hoop. Treat it like a normal game.
And then me and Lamar went out there and hooped.
After that second touchdown I caught, I’m like, “oh, this is over with.” Ain’t no way they coming back.
Harbaugh’s Departure from Baltimore
The conversation naturally shifted to the biggest change inside the building this offseason – the departure of a franchise legend.
Now that Harbaugh’s gone, does that rivalry still carry the same weight?
They just beat us to go to the playoffs.
It’s up. It’s going to be there.
That ain’t going nowhere.
When you heard Harbaugh was leaving, how did that hit you?
It was crazy. He’d been coaching that team probably since I was born.
To see him go and to be there while he’s gone – it hit way different.
I pulled up to the stadium and saw Coach Minter in his office. I’m like, damn, Harbaugh really gone.
But it’s a new time now. It’s more of a passing game.
Back in the day, Harbaugh had Ray Lewis and the defense – that’s how he won the Super Bowl. Now it’s all about explosiveness on offense. The game has shifted.
What did you take from his coaching that you’ll carry with you?
Just the way he prepared us for games. He could get anybody ready to play.
Not even speeches – it was the way we practiced.
He got you prepared to go out there, hit, and do your job, and it carried over to the game without you even having to think about it.
We were going full pads. One-on-ones in Week 17. Everybody out there tired, still going. That’s just how it was.
That physical approach – how did you manage that as a team?
That’s why we had a lot of injuries. The load was heavy.
The first two games of last year, bro, the first game I ran 10,000 yards. The second game I also ran 10,000 yards, 20,000 in two games, and still ran 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 in practice.
New Coaching Staff and the Season Ahead
With one era closing in Baltimore, attention quickly turned to what the next version of this roster could look like under new leadership.
How does Coach Minter compare in terms of that philosophy?
He worked with Harbaugh back in 2017, so he knows how we operate.
But the first thing I asked him was how practice was going to look.
He said you’re going to get your work, but we’re going to be a little easier on your body.
You’re going to be fresher for game day.
That was exactly what I needed to hear. Because toward the end of the week under the old system, my legs were shot by Saturday and I was barely recovered by kickoff.
Have you had a chance to connect with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle?
Yeah. He’s the same age as Lamar. Like 28, 29. And his mindset is explosive – run, pass, whatever.
Long as we’re explosive, he’s got the same mindset.
I flew up during the offseason just to sit down with him.
“Hey, what’d you draw up today?” Ask about the fam. Build a relationship outside of football first.
Has he given you any insight on how he might be using you this season?
There’s going to be a little bit more usage.
Growing Up: Family and Motivation
As the conversation opened up, it moved into his background and the experiences that shaped his mindset long before the NFL.
You’re one of 14 kids. How did that shape who you are?
Everything we did was competitive. We were always outside – racing with no shoes, playing football in the front yard, basketball at the park. Me and my brothers were always doing something.
Then growing up, I started seeing things I didn’t want to happen to me. Seeing brothers go to jail. I always had a different mindset – I don’t want that.
I saw my old boy get up at 4 in the morning, work all day, come home at 6 p.m., and take us straight to practice. Ten of us deep in the truck, bags in the trunk.
And he did that every single day. As I got older, I’m like, I don’t want to see him do that no more. That’s why I get up at 5 a.m. every day and go to the gym. That’s my motivation.
Would you credit your work ethic to your dad?
Hell yeah. That man worked all week.
Saturday mornings at 4 a.m., he’d wake me up, take all the clothes from all 14 of us – big black garbage bags, seven or eight of them – down to the laundry house.
He’d get me some breakfast. A donut, some orange juice, maybe a sandwich from McDonald’s.
We’d sit there all day together. Dump the clothes in the middle of the floor when we got home.
Take what you need for the week. Then get ready for practice.
That hits different now when I think about it.
What did it mean to you when you were able to start taking care of him?
I saw my pop change into a whole different person. He went from cursing all the time to no cursing.
He started having real conversations with us – about the past, about the future. He never had those conversations before.
Not until he felt stable enough to let go a little.
And when I saw that change in him, that meant everything to me.
He been working his whole life taking care of 14 kids.
Now it’s my turn. Let me get you right. Let me take care of you. That’s all I needed to be able to do.
The Draft Night Experience
From there, we went back to draft night – a moment that reflected just how much that journey meant for Zay and his family.
What was it like when Harbaugh told you he was going to draft you?
He didn’t even talk to me about football on my visit.
He just sent me down and said, “We’re going to draft you.” I’m like, for real? He said, “Yeah. Go get suits and go to the draft.”
Soon as I walked out his door, I called my old man. I said, “Go get everybody fitted for some suits.”
Your whole family was there that night. What was going through your mind when your name was called?
I was ignoring Roger Goodell.
I was looking at all my people, ready to get down off that stage.
I just shook his hand and got down there.
I had to leave the crib. I had to go all the way to Boston College. Miami didn’t offer me.
I had to take a whole other route and get out the mud. Roger Goodell? I ain’t worried about him. I’m looking at my people.
You wore pins honoring family members who had passed. Can you talk about that?
I had my mom on there. She passed when I was young, in 2005.
That was part of why some of my brothers stopped playing ball – it messed them up.
I had my uncle too, who was like a brother to us. Then my brother Martin passed in 2017.
And my grandma who raised us – she just passed a few months ago. But they got me though. They’re always there.
Lamar Jackson & The Brotherhood
The conversation then shifted to his connection with Lamar Jackson and how that relationship has developed both on and off the field.
You and Lamar are both from South Florida. Did y’all have a connection before the Ravens?
Lamar knew my brothers before he knew me.
My brothers used to play little league against him.
One of my brothers, L used to call him Joystick.
So when I got to Baltimore, he already knew my family and gave me his nickname. It’s been there for a minute.
What’s the dynamic like between you two on the field?
It’s unspoken. Sign language.
He knows if I’m not open the first time, I’m going to keep running.
So I’m back there doing all types of stuff – breaking this way, going that way.
He’s scrambling and he throws it, and I’m already gone.
We’ll get to the sideline and I’ll tell him, “Hey, they got man on me.” He’ll say, “I got you.” That’s it.
That’s how I scored against the Steelers. By the time anybody else broke on the field, I was already running to the end zone.
It’s backyard football. That’s what we’re both used to.
What do people misunderstand about Lamar?
They think he doesn’t care because he doesn’t show up to OTAs.
They think he’s leaving money on the table. But money doesn’t run L.
He’s all into God. He reads the Bible every day.
He’s going to do everything he feels he’s supposed to do – take care of himself mentally and physically, and get ready for the season on his terms.
Nobody else is going to take care of you in this sport. He knows that.
Music and Pregame Rituals
From there, we got into his pregame routine and the music that helps him lock in before kickoff.
What does your pregame playlist look like?
Kodak first. Then some NBA YoungBoy.
Then before I walk out, I play my brother. He passed away and had made a few songs – just playing with it before he was gone.
But it means everything to me now, just to hear his voice before I go out.
I got another brother who makes music too, so I listen to him. Really it’s those four: Kodak, YoungBoy, and my two brothers.
Then I’m gone.
Top five Kodak songs?
He’s got too many.
- On Everything
- Signs
- X&Os
- I Wish
- The Better
Top five NBA YoungBoy songs?
He also has too many. He drops a new song everyday.
He’s got like 30 albums and been rapping since 2015. Drake has been rapping since 2008 and only got 13.
- Untouchable
- Self Control
- Preach
- Dump Truck
- Master the Day of Judgement, the whole album.
Top 10 Receivers and Playing with Odell
The conversation then turned to the players who influenced his game, from all-time greats to veterans he’s shared the field with.
Give us your all-time top 10 receivers.
In no order:
- AB
- Tyreek Hill
- Jerry Rice
- Megatron
- Randy Moss
- Steve Smith
- Larry Fitzgerald
- Terrell Owens
- Ochocinco
- Julio Jones
What was it like playing with Odell?
He really showed me. He came to me like, “This is what I want to see from you this year.” Pushed me to take care of my body.
Every time he was getting treatment, he’d come get me – “I’m doing this, you want to come?”
I didn’t have to pay for anything. He took care of me on and off the field.
All the vets that came through treated me the right way. I took something from all of them.
The 2023 Receiver Class
From there, we discussed his draft class – a group that has changed the narrative around its overall talent.
People slept on your draft class at receiver. How do you feel about that now?
Nobody talked about our class being loaded at receiver when we were coming out.
They said it was weak. But look at it now.
Me, Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, Puka Nacua – we got some dogs.
Jordan Addison is going to keep coming up this year. Puka showed everybody what he could do. And JSN up in Seattle – they’re using him everywhere, the backfield, everywhere.
Where do you, Puka, and JSN stack up against the league right now?
We’re top three in separation.
All the next gen stats: one-on-ones, separation metrics, us three lead a lot of those categories.
And people still don’t give our class its credit. But the numbers are there. We ain’t mad about it. We just keep playing.
Looking Ahead
We closed by looking ahead at what’s next, both for him and for the city of Baltimore.
What would a Super Bowl mean to you – and to the city of Baltimore?
For the city – Baltimore is a tough city. There’s struggle out there.
And the only time the crime rate went down was when they won the Super Bowl.
You can feel it when you’re out there. People show love everywhere you go. That’s what the city needs.
For me, I’ve been chasing that my whole life. That’s the childhood dream.
And for Lamar? That solidifies him as one of the best ever. He deserves it. We all deserve it.
And when we win the Super Bowl, I’m gonna J.R. Smith it. No shirt. Henny.
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