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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

As far as Will Flowers is concerned, it was better late than never.

Flowers, a LaGrange High graduate, was a freshman offensive linemen on the East Tennessee State University football team for the 2020-2021 school year.

Normally, East Tennessee would have played its games during the fall, but that plan changed because of COVID-19.

East Tennessee’s fall season was canceled, and the team ended up playing games in the spring instead.

The Buccaneers began their season in February, and they played their sixth and final game in April.

While Flowers didn’t play in any games, he was nonetheless glad there was a season so he could get a taste of what college football is all about.

“It was crazy, coming into the COVID protocols and all that,” Flowers said. “Practicing all fall, we were so ready for the spring. Spring was so much fun, getting to play real college football. I’m ready to go back for the fall.”

Flowers was a two-sport standout at LaGrange, excelling in baseball and football.

Flowers earned a football scholarship offer from East Tennessee, and he gladly accepted.

“I love the school,” Flowers said when he signed. “It’s a great school academic-wise. And I like the people there. It’s a family environment.”

Flowers was enjoying a big senior year in baseball when the season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Two weeks ago, Flowers and the other upperclassmen on the 2020 team got together at Granger Park to have a senior-day ceremony, albeit one year late.

For Flowers, it was special to be able to share that moment with friends and teammates who have had such a positive impact on his life.

“It means so much. We were so close,” Flowers said. “We’d been playing together since T-ball. We’d been talking about our senior year for so long, and finally we got to be the seniors. It sucked that it got taken away, but this was about the second-best thing we could have done. I appreciate all the moms putting this together. My mom did a lot. It means a lot.”