Charlie Flowers dominates the college gridiron as a versatile fullback, leading Ole Miss to legendary bowl victories before cementing his legacy in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Football Bio
June 28, 1937 – Marianna, Arkansas – Charlie Flowers was a Fullback out of the University of Mississippi from 1957 through 1959, who entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
According to the National Football Foundation’s website, “Flavy” made All-Southeastern Conference twice and Academic All-Conference twice. In 1959, he made the All-America and Academic All-America teams.
His rushing totals were 438 yards as a sophomore, 546 as a junior, 733 as a senior. That last figure ranked him sixth in the nation in 1959.
Mr. Flowers was embroiled in a Pre-draft Era controversy when he secretly signed a contract with the NY Giants, but asked them to keep it secret until after he played in the Sugar Bowl, so as not to lose his eligibility to do so.
However, after the Sugar Bowl was over and before Wellington Mara of the Giants submitted the contract to the NFL offices, Flowers signed a higher-paying contract with the AFL’s San Diego Chargers.
The NY Giants’ hands were tied because they had “unclean hands” in the original deal and could not enforce the contract. He played a couple of seasons with the Chargers and then one with the AFL’s New York Titans before calling it a career.
Charlie Flowers leaves behind a remarkable legacy as an unstoppable force in the Ole Miss backfield. By guiding the Rebels to dominance and demonstrating unparalleled leadership both on and off the field, he ensures his place among the all-time greats of the college game.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1997.
- Consensus First-Team All-American: 1959.
- Heisman Trophy Finalist: Finished 5th in the 1959 voting.
- Academic All-American: 1959.
- 2× First-Team All-SEC: 1958, 1959.
- 2× Academic All-SEC: 1958, 1959.
- SEC Rushing Leader: Led the conference in rushing yards in 1957 and 1959.
- SEC Scoring Leader: 1959.
- Ole Miss Team of the Century: Selected for the 1893–1992 era.
- Bowl Success: Won two Sugar Bowls (1958, 1960) and one Gator Bowl (1958).
- Multiple Hall of Fame Inductions: Enshrined in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1985), Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame (1988), and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (2010).