Ereck Flowers often got into on-field fights with opponents and teammates alike, put his hands on an ESPN reporter, skipped out on mandatory media sessions and his play on the field was less than spectacular considering he was a first-round investment.
Despite all of that, Flowers believes he was the true victim during his time with the New York Giants, claiming he had become some sort of villain for no reason at all.
“If you read about me, you’d swear I was this villain,” Flowers told NJ Advance Media. “A lot of people don’t know me, so maybe some people have some built-up opinion about me.”
Flowers, now playing guard for the Washington Redskins in an attempt to reinvent himself and revitalize his floundering career, believes the criticisms spoke more about the people they were coming from than the player himself.
“[My time with the Giants] just taught me valuable lessons, not to focus on what somebody else is saying about you. Sometimes, you’ve got to look at who is saying it,” Flowers added.
Ultimately, Flowers says, he’s moved on from the Giants and their fans, and harbors no ill will against either.
“I didn’t have anger,” Flowers said of the Giants releasing him. “I just wanted a fresh start. For me, football has been more enjoyable here. I’m just trying to refine my game, get rid of bad habits, and create some good ones, especially at a new position.”
It is somewhat interesting to hear former Giants proclaim they were victimized while in East Rutherford. Odell Beckham Jr., Landon Collins and Damon Harrison have all shared similar sentiments — and all were guilty of talking too much and creating drama where none existed.
Like those players, drama seemed to surround Flowers during his time in New York and like those players, he continues to talk about it.
We’ll see how the manifests itself in 2019 as Flowers and the Redskins will square off against the Giants twice — once in Week 4 and then against in Week 16.
