Justin Flowe makes a strong statement at #RivalsChallenge
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ATLANTA - His nickname is "Babyman," but 2020 five-star linebacker Justin Flowe is much more man than baby.
At the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas, Flowe performed like he has this entire offseason and through his sophomore season - physical, fearless and unrelenting.
With the look of a hungry dog to raw meat, Flowe jammed people at the line of scrimmage - and that’s putting it delicately. He stunned numerous running backs, receivers and tight ends with his strength and his non-stop physical nature.
Some fell to the ground. Many were thrown off their routes. The Upland, Calif., standout is not finesse. He’s brute strength.
“When I was little, I was a kid but I was big like a man,” Flowe said about the inception of his nickname. “I was a big kid.
“I’m very aggressive and I don’t like to lose, so I go hard every play. That’s what I like do. I like to press people.”
At 16 years old, Flowe bench presses 360 pounds, squats 585 pounds and uses every ounce of that strength when he’s on the field.
Pushing people around in local 7on7 tournaments is one thing, but coming to this event - where many of the top players are in attendance - is something else.
Flowe made a major statement.
“I’m held to a very high standard, so I have to do that,” Flowe said. “There are a lot of really good people out here, so I’ve been working hard. It wasn’t that easy for me. It was good work.”
Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt said Flowe does not only want to beat his opponent, the five-star wants them to submit, to tap out.
For Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell, the Upland star backed up his reputation and much more.
“He’s ridiculously physical,” Farrell said. “He’s always around the football. He doesn’t really know how to control his own body at this point in time, so he has to play with a little less aggression and a little more of an even temperament.
“But you want that aggressiveness. You can’t teach it. It’s something that should be natural to every linebacker. Out here at a camp like this he turned and ran well with tight ends, running backs. In every one-on-one rep somebody got knocked down - and it was usually the opponent.”