It’s been a rough year for the Eagles, but on Monday afternoon, Boston College got some good news on a few different players.
Zay Flowers - BC’s lone bright spot this season and now the best receiver in program history - was named one of 12 finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver. Flowers recently became Boston College’s all-time leader in receptions and yards, but he’s facing some stiff competition.
“I think it kind of got lost in the loss. I congratulated him after the game because we were on the road, I didn’t know the exact point it happened. Usually, at home, that’s something they’ll stop the game and announce it, but obviously on the road they don’t care. Proud of him. I keep telling him, not just what he does on the field but how he handles himself off the field,” head coach Jeff Hafley said on Sunday regarding his star wideout.
“The way he’s going, his number should be hanging in the stadium. He’s got to be one of the best players to play at Boston College. Certainly he’s up there in consideration as one of the best receivers to ever play. I think what’s coming to him is a lot of great things. Like I’ve said before, I think he’ll go to the (NFL) Combine, he’ll climb up higher and higher the more people are around him, the more people meet him. I think when he gets a chance to play in those All Star games he’ll shine against some of the DB’s. He’ll be really hard to cover in 1-on-1’s.
“I think his personality will be infectious. I think people will be impressed how he can play in multiple positions, he can run multiple routes and isn’t just a gadget guy. Obviously, his 40 time at the combine will be a big deal because they’ll want to see how fast he is. I’m excited. And again, I appreciate Zay because 1. He stayed, 2. It hasn’t been a year for the team that anybody wanted, but he’s still playing as hard as he can. I think most kids at this point would have tapped out and got ready for the draft, so I appreciate him and I don’t want that to go unnoticed.”
Boston College also found out that The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced Flowers as the the 84th Bulger Lowe Award winner for the area’s best offensive player. BC graduate linebacker Vinny DePalma was also announced as the winner of the 78th Swede Nelson Award for sportsmanship, academics and athletics achievement.
The last BC Burger Award recipient was Hunter Long in 2020. The ugly season hasn’t stopped Flowers from putting up some ridiculous numbers. The speedy wide receiver leads the Eagles with 70 receptions, 967 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He ranks first in the ACC and 12th in the NCAA in yards, second in the ACC and sixth in the NCAA in touchdowns and second in the ACC and 15th in the NCAA in receptions.
Flowers’ 70 receptions are tied for the fourth most in a season at BC, while his 10 touchdowns are tied for first and 967 yards are fourth with one game remaining.
DePalma - who redshirted his freshman season - returned to the field after missing 2020 with an Achilles injury. One of the core leaders on this team, DePalma has been a constant positive force in the middle of the BC defense over the past two seasons. Through 11 games, he leads Boston College with 83 tackles, including a career-high 12 at Notre Dame this past weekend.
