Two more Griz get their shot in the NFL
5/1/2023 4:20:00 PM | Football
Two more Grizzlies have gotten the chance to prove themselves in the NFL since the conclusion of the draft on Saturday, bringing Montana's total to three in this year's cycle.
On Sunday, two-time consensus All-American cornerback Justin Ford announced he had received an invite from the Baltimore Ravens to attend a rookie mini-camp.
Monday afternoon, record-setting kick returner and wide receiver Malik Flowers announced he had signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.
The two signings come on the heels of linebacker Patrick O'Connell signing with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent less than an hour after the draft ended on Saturday.
Ford turned heads with his bench press at this year's Griz Pro Day. At 20 reps of 225 pounds, he showed his physicality with more reps than any other cornerback at this year's combine. His vertical jump of 35 inches would also have placed him among the top-18 corners at the NFL Combine.
Prior to that, he got the chance to compete against other NFL hopefuls at the Hula Bowl All-Star Game in Orlando. He put in a standout performance for "Team Kai," posting a game-high three pass breakups, half of the six total breakups for the squad.
As a junior, Ford led all of NCAA football in interceptions with nine on the season and added three defensive touchdowns to earn the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year award, unanimous first-team All-America honors, and a top-four finish for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the nation's top FCS defender.
As a senior, he earned first-team honors from the AFCA and HERO Sports, and second-team honors from AP and Stats Perform, despite seeing little action on his side of the field in 2022. UM's opponents completed 229 passes for 2,391 yards against the Griz that season. Just 12 of those passes were caught by the man Ford was defending for a total of 163 yards. He finished the year with four shutouts where his opponent logged zero catches in a game.
He finished his two-year career at Montana with 11 total interceptions and 28 passes deflected. Known for his physical play, he also logged 74 total tackles (50 solo), 5.5 TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 23 total games played.
Flowers, the NCAA record-holder for kickoff return touchdowns, burned his way to a 4.46 time in the 40, which would have been a top-40 overall result at the combine and a top-20 result for a wide receiver. His pro shuttle time of 4.39 would have also been a top-20 result among receivers.
Flowers cemented his name among the best kickoff returners in FCS history, tying the FCS all-time record for return touchdowns with 7 in his career, a total that ties him for BOTH the all-time FCS AND FBS record for career returns.
His record of seven return TDs is tied with former San Diego State speedster (and former player under the Aztec's then special teams coordinator Bobby Hauck) Rashaad Penny and former Weber State standout Rashid Shaheed. Flowers now joins Shaheed at the Saints, where the former Wildcat had a breakout season in 2022 as a kickoff returner and wide receiver.
With 2,659 career kickoff return yards, Flowers also broke the Big Sky record formerly held by Weber State's Bryant Eteuati (2,644). He shattered Montana's school record for kick return yards, breaking Jabin Sambrano's 2011 record of 836.
His kickoff return average of 28.90 is also the best average in school history and the sixth-best in Big Sky history, just two-tenths of a yards shy of Shaheed's career average of 29.09.
He had three seasons with 600-plus return yards after totaling 615 in 2022, despite most teams avoiding kicking to him at all costs.
Flowers was named to eight different All-America teams in his career and was a two-time All-Big Sky selection. He was also a two-time recipient of Montana's Hauck Family Special Teams Player of the Year award.
On Sunday, two-time consensus All-American cornerback Justin Ford announced he had received an invite from the Baltimore Ravens to attend a rookie mini-camp.
Monday afternoon, record-setting kick returner and wide receiver Malik Flowers announced he had signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.
The two signings come on the heels of linebacker Patrick O'Connell signing with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent less than an hour after the draft ended on Saturday.
Ford turned heads with his bench press at this year's Griz Pro Day. At 20 reps of 225 pounds, he showed his physicality with more reps than any other cornerback at this year's combine. His vertical jump of 35 inches would also have placed him among the top-18 corners at the NFL Combine.
Prior to that, he got the chance to compete against other NFL hopefuls at the Hula Bowl All-Star Game in Orlando. He put in a standout performance for "Team Kai," posting a game-high three pass breakups, half of the six total breakups for the squad.
As a junior, Ford led all of NCAA football in interceptions with nine on the season and added three defensive touchdowns to earn the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year award, unanimous first-team All-America honors, and a top-four finish for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the nation's top FCS defender.
As a senior, he earned first-team honors from the AFCA and HERO Sports, and second-team honors from AP and Stats Perform, despite seeing little action on his side of the field in 2022. UM's opponents completed 229 passes for 2,391 yards against the Griz that season. Just 12 of those passes were caught by the man Ford was defending for a total of 163 yards. He finished the year with four shutouts where his opponent logged zero catches in a game.
He finished his two-year career at Montana with 11 total interceptions and 28 passes deflected. Known for his physical play, he also logged 74 total tackles (50 solo), 5.5 TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 23 total games played.
Flowers, the NCAA record-holder for kickoff return touchdowns, burned his way to a 4.46 time in the 40, which would have been a top-40 overall result at the combine and a top-20 result for a wide receiver. His pro shuttle time of 4.39 would have also been a top-20 result among receivers.
Flowers cemented his name among the best kickoff returners in FCS history, tying the FCS all-time record for return touchdowns with 7 in his career, a total that ties him for BOTH the all-time FCS AND FBS record for career returns.
His record of seven return TDs is tied with former San Diego State speedster (and former player under the Aztec's then special teams coordinator Bobby Hauck) Rashaad Penny and former Weber State standout Rashid Shaheed. Flowers now joins Shaheed at the Saints, where the former Wildcat had a breakout season in 2022 as a kickoff returner and wide receiver.
With 2,659 career kickoff return yards, Flowers also broke the Big Sky record formerly held by Weber State's Bryant Eteuati (2,644). He shattered Montana's school record for kick return yards, breaking Jabin Sambrano's 2011 record of 836.
His kickoff return average of 28.90 is also the best average in school history and the sixth-best in Big Sky history, just two-tenths of a yards shy of Shaheed's career average of 29.09.
He had three seasons with 600-plus return yards after totaling 615 in 2022, despite most teams avoiding kicking to him at all costs.
Flowers was named to eight different All-America teams in his career and was a two-time All-Big Sky selection. He was also a two-time recipient of Montana's Hauck Family Special Teams Player of the Year award.
𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩 😤
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) May 1, 2023
CONGRATS to @jacosse_ for earning a mini-camp invite from the @Ravens! #GoGriz #NextLevelGriz #NFLDraft #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/zpx8urD5xN
𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 ⚡️
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) May 1, 2023
CONGRATS to @gt_prototype for signing with the @Saints as a free agent! 👏#GoGriz #NextLevelGriz #NFLDraft #Saints pic.twitter.com/HEpF8bWtP1
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