Last July, it was a blazing hot afternoon with the sun beating down at the Florida State football camp.
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Some of the nation's top prospects went through three hours of drills and tutoring before running a 40-yard dash at the end of the camp.
Dog tired, ESPN 150 Watch List recruit Hakeem Flowers (Greenville, S.C./Wade Hampton) clocked a 4.5. The Seminoles coaching staff quickly gave the Class of 2011 athlete his first scholarship offer.
"It was probably the best workout of my life," Flowers stated.
He's been showing out ever since.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Flowers worked out at both receiver and defensive back that afternoon, and the next day Maryland offered. He then attended camps at Auburn and Georgia during the same day. The Tigers have offered, Georgia hasn't, but it seems like most of the rest of the country is already on board in extending Flowers a full ride.
With roughly 30 scholarship offers, Notre Dame is one of the most recent schools to join the party. Coach Brian Kelly offered Flowers on last Wednesday's national signing day for the recruiting Class of 2010.
"He told me he wanted to offer me on signing day and hopes it holds a special place in my heart when it comes around to next year," Flowers explained. As a junior, he caught 50 passes for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has 10.5 second speed in the 100-meter dash.
"I know that Notre Dame is a pretty traditional place and they have a very good fan base and very good alumni."
Flowers is also evaluating scholarship offers from the likes of LSU, Tennessee, Miami, West Virginia and Michigan. He says he'd like to start narrowing his list down this summer, but is nowhere close to doing so.
"Everybody is really the same right now," Flowers said, adding his parents will be the ones helping him with his decision.
"I'm going to be looking for academics and then coaching staff, and then the depth chart and playing time. From there other things will fall in place."
Flowers has a 3.4 GPA and wants to major in business management. He is being recruited by Irish assistant coach Mike Elston, and looks forward to talking with him more down the road.
"I like the coaching staff and their coaching style," Flowers said.
Besides those camps, Flowers has taken in games at Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. He has plans to attend
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