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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, NOV. 13, 2014 – For some true freshman quarterbacks a first-career start on national TV might seem like a lot to handle but for Quinton Flowers it's nothing compared to what he's had to endure to just to get to his big moment as a Bull.
The former four-star recruit out of Miami Jackson High School will lead the Bulls on Saturday night at SMU and, no matter the outcome, can consider getting to this point a big victory in itself for a 20-year-old that has dealt with more adversity than most people will in a lifetime.
Flowers grew up in the mean streets of Liberty City, a poverty stricken community in Miami that is far from a travel destination because of almost daily violence. Flowers was 7 when his father, Nathaniel Flowers, was shot and killed outside their home and as a junior in high school Flowers, his older brother, Nathaniel Jr., and his older sister, Shanay, had to overcome the loss of their mother, Nolita, whose life was claimed by cancer.
“I think he's a kid that's been through so much here in his young age that I don't think too much, especially in football, or too much in life is really going to rattle this kid because of the things he's been through,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “It's been impressive for him to get this far and be as successful as he's been on the football field and in the classroom, that's impressive by itself.”
Flowers Stays Focused on Football
Quinton didn't have a chance to really get to know his father, a Dolphins fan, who was watching his team play on TV outside his home with Quinton's uncle, Nick Mann, when tragedy struck.
“The bullet came from 100 yards at the bus stop and it hit him,” said Nick, who would later play a major role in the lives of Quinton, 21-year-old Nathaniel Jr. and 22-year-old Shanay.
Nick chose to become more than a father figure for Quinton and his siblings in January 2012, when Nolita died after giving Nick a special request.
“She came to me one day and said, 'I want you to come live with me,'” Nick said. “She was real sick, so I stepped in and have been with them ever since.”
“When she passed it was tough. We missed a couple of days of school. We sat around our family, our uncle Nick,” Nathaniel Jr. said. “He sat down and said we knew this would happen because she told us. My uncle told us now we have to be strong men. He kept pushing us, picked us up after school and we kept fighting and fighting.”
Instead of dwelling on the extremely unfortunate situation, Quinton stayed focused on school and his ticket out of Liberty City – football.
“He never got in trouble, he was always quiet and a lot of players loved to be around him,” said Nathaniel Jr., who got to play with his brother as a receiver and defensive back at Miami Jackson.
Quinton and Nathaniel Jr. formed a tight bond over the years, picking each other up if one was down, and Nathaniel Jr. will always remember his brother's desire to be the best football player he could be no matter what.
“He eats, sleeps and drinks football,” Nathaniel Jr. said. “He'd wake me up at 8 o'clock in the morning just to run. He'd always say come work out with me, do this, do that. Even when our mama passed I still pushed him.”
Motivating each other through sport was a way of life for the Flowers brothers and their dedication to football wouldn't have been easy for anyone considering the area they grew up in. Liberty City is arguably the most dangerous place in Miami with sad headlines made again and again because of brutal killings. One example came in August when well-known pastor Kenneth Johnson, 67, was shot to death outside of a market and robbed.
“The streets are hard in Miami, real hard, especially for these young kids out here today,” Nick said. “There are killings every day and you just have to find yourself something to do and keep busy like Quinton did.”
Flowers Becomes a Prep Star
Hard work helped Quinton become a highly recruited player who received offers from a ton of big-name programs like Alabama, Florida, Miami, Nebraska, Texas and Tennessee among many others.
“If the kid wanted to play DB he could have went anywhere in the nation to play,” said USF running backs coach Telly Lockette, a Miami native who recruited Quinton. “He wanted to play quarterback. He's following his dream and that's what he wants to do. That's a big reason he came here. Coach T said he'd give him an opportunity to play and he's a kid that's loyal.”
Schools also saw Quinton as a receiver but he stayed true to becoming a quarterback, the last position Nolita saw him play, and he became a very good one for Miami Jackson. Quinton racked up 6,042 passing yards and 2,002 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns in his career that featured two trips to the playoffs.
Miami Jackson made the Class 5A regional semifinals in 2011 and in 2012 Quinton led the Generals to their first state semifinal appearance since 2006. Quinton threw for a touchdown and ran for 118 yards and another score in a 29-21 loss to Immokalee High School and current USF teammate D'Ernest Johnson, who rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns for the Indians.
“He's a kid that a lot of his teammates in high school rallied around,” said Lockette of Quinton. “He didn't go to a high school with all the best talent but they used what they had and rallied behind him.”
Quinton got the QB opportunity he was looking for with the Bulls and uncle Nick said it's well deserved from a kid that kept his head on straight in Liberty City.
“He was always humble, he was always quiet and he would never run the streets,” Nick said. “He was focused on football and school. I asked him if he enjoys South Florida and he says he loves it.”
Waiting for His Moment at USF
Quinton headed to USF with lots to learn when it came to the Bulls' playbook but Nick made sure his nephew remained ready for whatever was ahead.
“I dropped him off to college and I said, 'You know what you've come here to do. Keep your head up, read your bible, pray at night and be focused on what you have to do because you're a freshman and God opened doors for you,'” Nick said.
The dual-threat quarterback showed coaches glimpses of his dynamic playmaking ability in fall camp and Taggart has made a point of giving his young freshman a college orientation as the season has progressed. Quinton played in one series in USF's games against NC State, East Carolina and Houston, mostly running the read-option in his brief appearances.
“We've been taking a lot of road trips up to Tampa to watch him play,” Nick said. “They put him in the game and took him out. I just told him to stay focused and your time is going to come, and when that time comes be ready.”
Quinton's workload greatly increased during USF's bye week following the Houston game when Taggart opened the starting QB spot for competition. He impressed the team with his increased knowledge of the playbook, which complemented his already evident physical gifts.
“Before he wasn't getting a lot of reps, so he really wasn't able to show us exactly what he can do,” Taggart said Tuesday. “…He's shown when he's going against our defense in practice some of the things he can do.”
Now Quinton gets to show the nation what he can do Saturday night in Dallas and his family back home in Miami is excited to say the least.
“Now they've called his number and he's got to do what it takes,” Nathaniel Jr. said.
“He's really a true leader and he doesn't like to lose. He wants to win and that's what he's all about,” said Nick, who noted “his mama is always watching down on him and his daddy.”
Watch Quinton and the Bulls on Saturday at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
USF football single game tickets, mini-plans and season tickets are available on-line at GoUSFBulls.com, by calling 1-800-GoBulls, or in person at the Sun Dome Gate A Ticket Office. Season Ticket Members may renew their tickets online today.
