Richmond Flowers

[BillVol]

Digging up that old SI cover with Flowers on it got me to thinking about him. Has anybody here seen that made-for-TV movie about his career? Also, I believe ESPN did a Sports Century about him.

I have not seen the ESPN piece, but I did see the movie a long time ago. I wonder if it could be purchased on-line?

Bits and pieces about the movie I recall:

- he had to wear leg braces as a kid
- his dad, Richmond, Sr., was attorney general of Alabama and was not popular b/c he was fair to blacks
- Bear Bryant wanted him for FB. But Tennessee just happened to have perhaps the best recruiter ever at the school in Chuck Rohe (who reeled in many FB and track stars), and he landed Flowers. Plus, Richmond wanted out of Alabama (and who could blame him ;-) ).
- the 2-race series with Willie Davenport was depicted.
- Flowers and the Vols beating Bryant and 'Bama was shown.

Pretty hokey movie with a lot of "Hollywood" in it, but still interesting. I'm sure the ESPN piece was much better.

[BillVol]

Re: Richmond Flowers

http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/ ... hmond.html

Above is the Sports Century write-up on Richmond, complete with cool pic in his Tennessee track uniform.

[Guest]

Re: Richmond Flowers

Excellent story. Didn't Flowers make a comeback of sorts in the early 70's? Because I know for a fact I had seen him run in an indoor meet or two. Plus in 68', I was a kid who knew less about track and field than I knew about GI-Joe and Hot Wheels. But Im' almost convinced I watched him on TV around 72' or 73'.

[kritter]

Re: Richmond Flowers

believe his son was a wide reciever for Duke just a couple years ago. third generation.

[Guest]

Re: Richmond Flowers

As a statistician, I wonder whether Flowers was a legitimate (retroactive) WR-holder - he ran 13.50y in a heat or semi of'67 NCAA in Provo. On that day, the WR was 13.2(Calhoun), and best auto time was 13.50(Davenport, '66 AAU, with -1.5w).(Lauer's 13.2 was 13.56 auto). So maybe, for 1 day, Flowers was a deserving 'WR holder'..?
(make that PART of a day.. McCullouch won the final in 13.47.)

[Guest]

Re: Richmond Flowers

No, the best auto time was 13.44 by Davenport at the AAU in NYC on June 25, 1966. The wind was -0.6 mps.

[CD]

Re: Richmond Flowers

Outstanding story, I am going to call my brother right now and ask if he has heard of Richmond Flowers Jr. Wow, what a great story, a real hero!My brother has dyslexia, we live in Georgia but he is in Alabama and he has struggled with his disability his whole life. Funny thing is he, like Richmond, is smart and great at sports. He is taking the bar exam after finishing law school but the Bar won't allow him extra time to finish the exam. I think someone even told him up there, "too bad go some place else!" Pretty sad- it looks like not much in Alabama has changed since the 1960s,still backwoods, at least at the Bar. I just keep praying he will finish the race.
cooper

[Track fan]

Re: Richmond Flowers

His son had short stops in the NFL with Dallas and Jacksonville.....