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Oregon players dish on Justin Flowe’s motivational techniques, unmatched energy and peculiar living habits.
EUGENE — It seemed as though there’s nothing they’d rather discuss.
Thirty-two Oregon football players spoke at the program’s media day Wednesday. When asked about their teammate — the freakishly athletic, and sometimes irrationally energetic Justin Flowe — their faces came to life with awe-inspiring appreciation of his presence.
They’ll tell you he has no off switch. That what you see on social media is pure, unfiltered Flowe. But for 15 minutes on Wednesday morning inside Autzen Stadium’s club level, it seemed as though he found the switch. Flowe, who has played just two games in the last two years, was reserved, oozing modest confidence and an appreciation for the moment.
It seems the media was, for once, privy to something Flowe’s teammates haven’t been. Because while we’ve all yet to really get to know the former 5-star linebacker, Flowe’s teammates have been with him nearly every day for the last two years.
And frankly, they say there’s no one quite like Heem.
Safety Bryan Addison: My first encounter with him was kind of funny. I didn’t know him as “Heem” at first. So he came in and introduced himself as “Heem.” So I’m like, What is “Heem?” and he’s like, “That’s me, The Heem Monster.”
Defensive back Trikweze Bridges: We all used to it now. It’s Heem. Like, he’s called Heem. When he was putting his shoulder pads on for [a photo shoot] yesterday, everyone had their cameras out ready for him just like to amp up and be excited, just like do him.
Defensive lineman DJ Johnson: I’m taking a video of the cleats we got [at the photoshoot] and in the background, you hear Flowe screaming. I don’t know what he was screaming about but he was just screaming… It’s not an act. People wondering if it’s an act, that’s just how he is.
Defensive tackle Popo Aumavae: Every time I come into the locker room, I hear someone screaming and I turn the corner and Flowe is flexing. I love the energy that kid brings.
Offensive tackle Steven Jones: We were going [on the bus] to team bonding and I was like, “Go up there and freestyle on the mic,” and he just went out there and was freestyling for like 10 minutes and everyone was dying [laughing].
He pulled up some random beat on his phone and tried to put it next to the mic, but you know how it makes that static sound. I couldn’t hear it. What I like about it, though, is that he’s not afraid to actually go up there and do stuff like that. I mean, it takes a different kind of person to really be vulnerable enough to go up there and maybe even get laughed at. So to see him go up there, just shows who he is. I think that’s awesome.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson: We did a little barbecue [and we played basketball] and he’s over there playing defense and you can tell he plays football. He’s over there full energy, all the time, and never stops. Just in your face, flexing, slapping the ground.
Wide receiver Kris Hutson: He’s the energy [guy], so he played defense like he’s Scottie Pippen.
Defensive back Bennett Williams: That man is a different breed. I love the kid. He is going to be special. His energy is unmatched. Absolutely unmatched. His physical stature is incredible and he moves around with such intensity. That brings so much intensity to our team and our defense and fires us up.
Running back Byron Cardwell: Playing this sport, you always have one guy on a team that just gives everybody the energy and I would say for gameday and practice, he always brings that juice. You’ve got to match his intensity or just kind of go to the side and I like it because it just brings out that juice in me on days when [i’m not feeling it].
Cornerback Dontae Manning: It was about 6:30 in the morning, we were getting ready to go lift and Flowe comes in with this like probably 50-pound boombox, turns the music on and just started yelling, hitting the ground, talking about how he’s an animal. That woke me up, I was still sleepy.
Offensive lineman Alex Forsyth: He’s gonna be slapping the ground and hyping the crowd up even if there is no crowd.
Offensive lineman Ryan Walk: [The coaches] have had to tell him to tone it down a little bit in walkthroughs and stuff because he’s like 110-percent all the time, which you know, you can really appreciate. But there’s a time and a place to be going full speed and so sometimes he’s had to tone it down a little bit. You’d rather have to tell a guy to tone it down than to turn it up and you never have to tell him to turn it up.
Defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus: He’s a crazy, crazy athlete. His work ethic is crazy. I’ve never seen anyone work like that before.
Linebacker Noah Sewell: Every time he comes on that field you can feel his presence, and I always try to match that. He’s always trying to one-up me.
Manning: It’s exciting and it’s scary.
Sewell: I know that if I look to my left and see Justin looking scary, he’s going to do his job and I don’t have to worry.
Defensive tackle Keyon Ware-Hudson: He’s always the one chasing after the guy 20 yards in the backfield.
Receiver/running back Seven Mcgee: It was the first scrimmage we had and I was at running back, so Flowe came in and he just destroyed me. It was bad. That was my “Welcome to college” moment.
Sewell: I pray he stays healthy. He can do some crazy things on the field that I’ve never seen before.
Williams: He’s kind of like our spirit animal, if you want to put it that way. We’ve just got to make sure that he keeps that level head and hones in on what he has to do and knows what we have to do each play. Then you let him loose knowing that he knows what he’s doing and it’s going to be scary for a lot of offenses.
Bridges: I don’t want to give away what he’s gonna do, but he has this new celebration that I kind of enjoy watching him do in the locker room. And I just can’t wait for him to make a big play so he can do it.
Defensive end and former roommate Bradyn Swinson: Outside of the field, he’s a real caring guy. Not everybody gets to see this about Justin.
I miss living with him. [There’s] always excitement. Never a boring time. There’s going to always be some type of music playing. At the same time, he always likes to bond with you and always likes to find time to do something with you.
Dorlus: “When he’s fishing, he’s not crazy. He’s more calm. He acts like that and he might scare the fish away.”
So, Is he any good at it?
“He’s the best. He’s patient. It’s hard to believe, but he’s good.”
— Shane Hoffmann
@shanehoffmann
