Jackson Free Press

Our state lost a legendary football player on Dec. 7, when former University of Mississippi fullback Charlie Flowers passed away. The Rebel great lost his fight against cancer at the age of 77 in Atlanta, Ga.

Born Flavy Charles Flowers in Marianna, Ark. on June 28, 1937, he was a standout high-school football player who chose to play college football at Ole Miss. He was a part of three of Johnny Vaught's greatest teams.

Flowers arrived in Oxford in 1956 but, because of NCAA rules at the time, he couldn't play as a freshman. Flowers became eligible to play in 1957.

It was in 1959 that Flowers helped the Rebels have a historic season. Ole Miss finished that season with 10-1 record and shut out eight different teams. Flowers finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

The only loss the Rebels had was a 7-3 to Louisiana State University on a rainy and foggy Halloween night, when Billy Cannon made a legendary punt return. Ole Miss faced the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl and won 21-0 to avenge their only loss. Cannon went on to win the 1959 Heisman, and while Cannon won the award, it was Flowers who had a better statistical season. Cannon had 598 yards on 139 attempts with five touchdowns. Flowers had 733 yards and led the Southeastern Conference in rushing with 141 rushes with 11 touchdowns.

Flowers received All-American and Academic All-American titles in 1959 and All-SEC and Academic All-SEC from 1958 to '59.

Three different polling systems—Clyde Berryman's College Football Rankings, Dunkel Index and Sagarin—named the 1959 Ole Miss team national champions. During his three seasons with the Rebels, the team went 28-4-1, with Sugar Bowl wins over University of Texas and LSU and a Gator Bowl win over the University of Florida.

More praise for the 1959 team came when Sagarin named it the third best college football team from 1956 to 1995, only trailing the 1971 and 1995 Nebraska teams. Football Outsiders named the 1959 Rebels to the Top 100 Football Teams of the Last 100 Years.

Flowers also became a part of sports law when his college career was nearly over.

Before the Rebels played in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1960, Flowers signed a contract with the New York Giants of the National Football League. In order to keep his eligibility for the Sugar Bowl, Giants owner Wellington Mara agreed with Flowers' condition to keep the deal a secret until Jan. 2 after the bowl game, but before the Sugar Bowl, the Los Angeles-San Diego Chargers of the American Football League offered Flowers more money. He sent his signing bonus back to the Giants and then signed with the Chargers.

The Giants then sued the Chargers in an effort to keep Flowers in New York. Flowers then became a Charger since New York "soiled their hands" by acting with "devious and deceitful conduct."

Flowers played for the Chargers from 1960 to 1961 and then the New York Titans of the AFL in 1962.

The SEC named Flowers and the 1959 Rebels the Team of Decade and the Sugar Bowl All-Time Team (1955 to '59 era).

Flowers himself made it into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 1988, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Arkansas Hall of Fame in 2010.

The SEC also named him one of the Legends of 1999, Ole Miss fans voted him into the Ole Miss team of the Century in 1993 and Athlon Sports named him to the All-Time Rebel Team (1893-1995). He was also inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1999.

Flowers is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sharon, daughters Julie Ock and Ashley Flowers, son Charlie Jr., eight grandchildren, his sister Gloria Stroud and nieces and nephews.