Zay Flowers Introductory Press Conference

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Earlier today, new Ravens wide receivers Zay Flowers arrived in Baltimore after the Ravens took him with the twenty second overall pick in the twenty twenty three NFL Draft. Flowers arrived to Baltimore Friday morning and held the press conference alongside general manager Eric Taicassa and head coach John Harbaught. Here's what they had to say during that time with the media.

As I said last night, was earlier in the process that we identified Saia as a guy that we thought would bring a lot of value to this club. His playmaking ability, who he is as a person, his greatest determination, his background, all of those things kind of factor in and and he's the guy, and we're fired up to get him. I think our fan base is gonna love him, the community is going to love him. And just welcome Jay Flowers.

Same thing.

Just Echo couldn't be more excited on behalf of all the coaches. Everybody's fired up to have you here. Welcome to Baltimore.

Thank you, I'm excited to be here. I want to thank coach Hardball and E. D. C Right what he called I'm gonna call you e DC forgive me this opportunity. Well, I think with Lamar and the guys on the outside, we got something special and we could build here and we can get back to what Baltimore avers was.

Questions see last night you visit your kind of net or had a good feeling about What was it you elaborate?

The last time I visited here, we barely even talked about football. It was just everybody in the building was genuine. A lot of the places I went to it I had to put on a kind of like a front, and when I got here, it was just everything was just period. It was just genuine. I was playing basketball beat a couple of people. But I joyed that visit.

So everyone read about you, compliments your card working nature, and your drive. Where can you attribute that when most that is stilled in you?

I got it from my dad. I used to see him get up go to work at four am in the morning, and he did that every day Monday through Friday. And he'll get up Saturday, wash our clothes at the wash house, cook everybody breakfast, and take us to football games and then do the same thing Sunday and then go back to work Monday, So just see him do that. It gave me my drive.

The other weapons on the outside. We saw that you FaceTime and you know Beckham last night Insas City.

When did that relationship start? Is he somebody that you know? How about you looking forward to playing with him?

So my first time talking to him because we got the same trainer back in Florida. My train my receiver coach train them too, and he used to watch some of my videos and like, all we gotta get together and work out. And I think a couple of weeks ago I called him and I was like, where you think about going? And then he was like, either the Ravens or the Giants, I think, And I was like, that's crazy because both of those teams I'm predicted to go to and then we land on the same team.

You back to doing you've been.

Here before, but what if you're like walking back in here as a Raven and how.

Different is it?

I felt great walking back in the building because everybody that that I've seen the first time. It felt like I knew him for a couple of years and only knew him for a day. So just being somewhere I could be comfortable and be myself and still work hard and play football is a perfect spot for me.

So last night you were watching them fire Leschel videos of Lamar Jackson when he played to the defender locked into the end zone? How fired up are you to play with him? And did you ever think that he could throwing into football in the National Football League?

I didn't think so, but they let me fall to him. So it's gonna be a lot of plays being made on Sunday, Monday, or Thursday, whatever day were playing on. So just being able to play with them and have all these weapons next to me, I was just doing to improve my game.

Say, there's a lot of pressure that goes with being a first round pick, But when you look at this roster and you already mentioned Odell, you ever Sean Baben another former first round pick, and Mark Andrews.

How exciting is it for you that you can be yourself?

But there isn't this expectation that you have to come in and be quote the guy.

Day one, I'm gonna have the guys next to me, so I feel like if we all do our part and do what we're capable of, we're gonna have a very good team.

You're known for breaking tackles yours after the catch. How do you stay to do that.

When obviously you're not one of the bigger guys, but you're so able.

To do and beef this as well?

There.

I mean, I was never one of the bigger guys, so I always had to find a way to do it, and I'm gonna try to continue to find a way to do that.

Who's in the picture on the medallion runner there?

That's my mom?

Why is that important to have in this moment?

Do you think she started us off playing football? So I felt like I needed her with me last night and have it with me today. It's just a little flower, got my brothers and sisters and each pedal fourteen of us.

How how did that big family really kind of sharpen you sharpen your competitives? Competitiveness and like you said, you haven't been the biggest guy that you have been physically. You playing in physical Is that in part because of having that big family?

Uh?

Yeah, believe it or not? Like my brother's tall like some of them, like six two six one. I guess I got the short end, but but we was competitive at everything. I played basketball, the little brothers play, the big brothers play football, and it'll be the same thing, arraster each other. So it was just it was just meant to be that way, and it worked out perfect.

Say to your mom, say, uh, you know in this moment on one of your brothers as well, now after in high school, what would you say to them on this day if you could.

Well what I said to them, thank you for always being there for me and like and supporting me through everything and having my back. So I appreciate them for that and being my biggest fans.

What is that dynamic like of one on fourteen?

Uh, it's fun actually, like you never shot. You can't be shot because you're gonna always be talking because somebody's always in the house. You always around somebody, So everybody gonna have their own personality, whether it's funny, quiet or you just running around playing.

Probably you watch the NFL football.

You played good time in college football, But what do you anticipate the next level to be, Like, how you will be able to transition to the NFL.

I just I feel like everybody gonna be smarter, faster and working hard. So I just gotta do that times too and continue what I was doing.

Is it being from South Florida? Obviously a lot of talent comes out of there. This team has a lot.

Of talent from South Florida. What do you anticipate that does for.

The atmosphere of being in this building and playing football with these.

Guys down in South Florida. When you play with like people, you know, it's just boosts. It's just boosts how you want to play. It just make you make make make you make more plays. So being able to play a little more and other playmakers around me, it's just gonna make me play harder, work harder, and try to make more is to help the team.

Some of your teammates were highly rated recruits and and you were not.

That coming out of high school?

Is does that fill you with some sort of pride scene them as your peers in the NFL?

Now?

I mean it. I did have a chip on my shoulder because of that. I mean I still have it because I felt like I was an underdog. So I just played with a chip and I'm gonna just get I'm gonna continue playing like that.

So last night, you know the connection that you felt with the Ravens at the Shrine game when they were looking you pretty extensively got Have you think you fit steam wise here?

Uh?

Sort of?

Where do you feel you can have to think?

It's impact?

In my opinion, I feel like I could play outside, inside special teams, wherever you need me to make a play. If I could touch the ball any type of way to try to make a play, I feel like I would be good. And where the jet sweeps, shadow crosses, deep balls, part returns, I feel like I could be used it anyway.

Because you players came back in to play Georgia. Did you get a chance to watch a munch of tops last year you any kind familiarity?

Yeah? I know at Georgia it was a lot of running. But I mean when you got a team like that in college, you're gonna continue running the ball to win national championships. At this level, you gotta be able to do both.

You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast feed, make sure that you subscribe to the podcast feed. Also leave a rating and a review, and if you haven't done so, already. Go check out the Lounge podcast feed to subscribe, rate, and review that feed as well. Now let's get back to the Zay Flowers introductory press conference.

Steve Smith has spoken highly of your skills. How were you of him?

And are you comfortable with any comparisons that people may want to grow between you and somebody?

Uh?

Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with it because he was a smaller guy in the league that was playing bigger than his size, and I'm I'm gonna be a smaller guy in the league and I'm gonna have to play bigger than my size.

Say, he's the toughest corner you've ever faced? And is there a guy you kind of looked at for a walk for a while and you love to match up against.

I don't think any corner gave me a problem in college, but facing I don't really got I want to face all of them, honestly.

So he really had four full seasons in college football. A lot of guys don't. How much do you think that's gonna help you? And did you give a thought even last year to.

Come down NL?

I gave it a little thought, but I feel like I needed to put more stuff on tape, like competitive catchers, blocking, just all the small stuff that I didn't do the year before that I was able to do this year.

How pleased are you with how you guys said straight out early this off season we were going to upgrade this wide receiver with this latest edition.

How pleased started with how kind of the pieces have come together?

I'm really excited. I feel like there was a plan in place and everybody, you know, coaches, scouts, Eric and all his group. Joe did a great job scout and oised guy who had a really good handle on the board. I feel like, you know, you led that Joe and did a great job with that and kind of knew who he liked. You know, they was our top rated receiver pretty I would say one hundred percent consensus, right, Joe,

Eric.

I know when you you scout a lot of these players, when when did for you would say when when do you remember seeing?

Maybe it was on tape things like that. How did that?

Yeah?

Last year? First? You know, you know I thought it was explosive last year. We talked about him last year, and we do. Our scouts do a great job of looking at potential juniors that might enter the draft. It's not like years ago when we used to start that process like after the combine. We start that process in the fall. So we watched day at length two years ago excited.

A bottom end.

I think, you know, one of the things this year. I remember, I liked to say on tape and David Blackburn, our college director, was going out to the East West game, and uh, you know, Zay was there for one practice, just one practice. He went out and he put on a show and that was it, you know. And I asked David, because David was there, and I said, how do you look? David said, fast the best guy there.

Is your actually aches in the Boston area viview question so much.

You know, I've been down here now for twenty eight years. I don't have as many contacts up there now as I used to. I still have an affinity for the for the state, the Commonwealth, but uh, but I'm a Baltimore guy.

Now.

I'm curious how nervous you were getting as you're getting closer to your pick, and you knew the Seahawks were interested and possibly.

Taking a wide receiver. You knew the Charterers could take a wide receiver.

You're getting nervous that they could take Is that.

You know, you always get nervous, But I've learned that, you know, there's different levels of nervousness, and in the last two years have shown to me that there's always nervousness times two, times three. And so you know, the draft is the draft. We plan and practice, and you know, I've learned from the all great powerful os to always be prepared on draft day, and so you know, you just get ready for every possible scenario that can happen, and of course the best we got some years you don't,

So that's Eric as how he handled things.

How how you from an outside, how do you think, Oh, yeah, poise, he's he's like he's stone cold in there, man, he's got ice water in his veins. And I see, I just saw David Blackburn sitting back there with his whole crew. He was just giving me the eye the whole night back there, like we're gonna get our guy. We're gonna get our guy. Worry. So you knew all along, David, what'd you know? It's meant to be?

Man, I am in the draft is different than how I am on game day, different animal, worse.

Well, the draft is better better.

We never wish drafts of all time if I was as distracted and emotional as I am during games.

Enjoying your staff, was this a scenario you possibly played.

Out for him or.

Oh, man, Jerry, I mean we were really talking about exactly which receiver we're going to take. We were kind of talking about scheme. But I think once once you have a feel for the scheme, then you start putting the players into the schemes. They was just jumped to the front of the class. It's going to be a great fit. Talking to our players. I mean, our players are excited already about the two weeks we've had a chance to install the scheme so far. And I know

Did you ask Lamar at all about the receivers in this draft? Glass, did you have a I don't want to say say, but did you get input from him about who he would like to have?

We talked back in January. Yeah, I went down to visit with Lamore back in January and we talked about the college receivers and one thing about Lamar, if you're from South Florida, he's gonna.

Know you are.

And he gave me a list. He gave me a full breakdown of every receiver in the draft from South Florida, and uh, you know, he's got strong opinions on all these guys too. You know, he's very loyal to the players from that part of the country and so he has, you know, a lot of opinions on Zaying. He was very, very excited that we got him last night, John.

And a lot of receivers on this rostering that five ten to the six floe one range not like a true ex possession that guy.

I guess what a kind of the.

Van news to having maybe someone that's seen this in the receiver room and the white you're not concerned about any confession.

Yeah, I think we kind of we had that conversation for sure. It's a really good point, and we just decided that we were going to go with the guy that we thought, you know, was the best guy for us, and it was. We just decided not to go position specific. The idea that we're going to move guys around. We had we have every guy's versatile. Every guy can play out there at X. To your point, every guy can play Z. And the way the offenses are getting to be built now, it's not on this side and that side.

He's like, what, how would you describe I.

Guess Lamar is sort of legend in South Florida.

And what he means to young guys who grow up playing football there is.

You now look up to them.

I mean, down there, Lamar legend. Like everybody a Lamar fan. You're gonna hear everybod You're gonna see people wearing his jersey. No matter where you go, everybody gonna talk about him. And I am though South Florida got the best athletes, we'll not get a receiver from down there, just as himself.

So it was a busy day for Flowers as he arrived in Baltimore, was introduced to the local media here and this was just a fun, busy day for the new member of the Ravens. And we have all sorts of behind the scenes content posted from his visit to Baltimore as well as the draft Thursday night in Kansas City. We had the phone call that Eric ta Costa made to him on Thursday to let him know he was going to be a Raven, as well as a FaceTime