The front linemen of the opposing team get into position on the line of scrimmage, waiting for Central to snap the ball and the quarterback, sophomore Jordan Flowers, to make the play.

The age difference between Flowers and his other teammates do not phase him, and he receives the snap without hesitation to make a play.

Last year Flowers was the starting quarterback for the junior varsity team, but he now has earned his spot as starting quarterback for varsity. “[The coaches] hinted at it last year, but I realized it this year,” Flowers said of his new position.

Jay Ball, the head coach for Central’s football team, appreciates many qualities that Flowers has. “Jordan is very athletic, intelligent, and makes very good decisions with the ball in his hands. Quarterback is a very difficult position to play, but Jordan has played it his whole life so he is prepared,” Ball said. These qualities that Flowers have obtained and possess allow him to be the starting quarterback even though he is only a sophomore.

Being the quarterback, Flowers must possess leadership attributes that help him lead over upperclassman. “The willingness to win and get everything done… Everyone shares the willingness to win, so it isn’t hard to lead [my teammates]. I look at them as peers,” Flowers said. In his mind, age difference doesn’t matter on the field.

However, stepping up to this position did not come easily to him. “I have to train daily, and am in the gym five or six hours,” Flowers said. With all of this training, Flowers has developed into a better player than he viewed himself as in the past.

He has also improved from what his coaches used to see. “They have helped with my passing game. When I came to Central, I had terrible accuracy and bad flowing motions,” he said.

Now, he has good accuracy and much better flowing motions. Flowers believes that this is the year that Central will bring home the state championship.

Ball has witnessed Flowers’ improvement from freshman year into this season. “His mechanics and technique continue to improve and his knowledge of our offense has also gotten much better,” Ball said.
“The biggest difference [in the team this year versus last year] is the role I play this year. This is my chance to move on in my career,” Flowers said.

Even further back than his coaches, Flowers’ father was one of the first to inspire Flowers to become interested in football. “Seeing what my dad did and how much he accomplished here in Omaha really inspired me to play football and not only to be as good as him, but better than him. I just developed a love for the game, I just want to be the best player I can be and see where that leads me,” Flowers said.

Flowers’ father played football at the University of Nebraska, and played in the NFL for a year.

Other people that Flowers admires include Ladanion Tomlanson, past running back for the Chargers, and Clint Shelf, quarterback for Oklahoma State.Flowers himself hopes to one day find himself in the same position that Shelf is currently. As of now, Flowers is focused on his impact on Central’s team. With the hope of state, Flowers and his teammates prepare themselves for the competition ahead.

“North won state, so they will be a big competitor, but really every team is [our biggest competitor] because everyone wants to win,” Flowers stated.