The road less taken

By Katie Munson

Usually when college football players arrive on campus for the first time, they have followed a predictable path. After four years of high school football, a letter of intent and a drive to campus, they come ready to pursue their dreams of the NFL or a college degree.

Not Bo Flowers.

Clarence “Bo” Flowers is a 24-year-old freshman in AHS at the University and a safety on the Fighting Illini football team. But football was not Flowers’ only choice, nor is it the only sport he has pursued since high school.

“He isn’t the typical high school kid playing college football because this was always the path that he was going to follow,” said Dan Disch, the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator. “He knows what he wants and he’s playing football because this is what he wants to be doing at this stage of his life.”

After high school, Flowers had to choose between baseball and football. Pursuing baseball, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth-round of the 2002 first-year player draft. After three seasons in that organization, Flowers was traded to a Chicago Cubs minor league team.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

After playing a season for the Peoria Chiefs in the Cubs organization, followed by a season in the frontier league, Flowers felt it was time for a change.

“I just felt like I had nothing to lose so I’d just get a good shot at it, get an education, play some college football at the same time,” Flowers said. “That’s not something a lot of people get to do,” he added.

When it comes to sports, Flowers has done a lot of things that not many people get a chance to do.

“Not too many people can say they stop playing minor league baseball, then go to a big time university and go to a Rose Bowl their first year,” said Flowers. “That was a big accomplishment for me, being able to be a part of that.”

He was not without encouragement when it came to going back to football. In high school, he was the starting quarterback for Walther Lutheran in Melrose Park, Ill., where he led his team in rushing and passing yards.

“He was probably the best athlete Walther has had, maybe ever,” said Desmond Orr, an assistant coach at Walther Lutheran when Flowers was there. Orr encouraged Flowers to go back to football telling him “go play safety, go play safety.”

Orr put Flowers in contact with Disch. After talking to the coaches and making visits to the University and several other schools, Flowers made his decision.

“The coaching staff was honest and straightforward and I liked that and I just felt like this was the place I wanted to come,” said Flowers.

The switch from baseball to football conditioning has not been the only change for Flowers. He is now playing safety, a big transition from playing quarterback in high school, Disch said, adding that Flowers adapted well his first year.

It took some time to get his football legs back under him, Orr said, but he is a hard working player.

“As a high school athlete and a pro baseball player he has always been an achiever, and everyone is looking forward to seeing him really do that next season,” said Orr.