Like it is

It all adds up that Flowers is a great guy

Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan is sacked by New England Patriots' Trey Flowers during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Cleaning out the Super Bowl LI notebook starts with New England Patriot Trey Flowers.

If yours truly ever wrote a list of favorite interviews, Flowers would be in the Top 10, maybe Top 5.

Flowers graduated in 3½ years from UA's Walton College of Business with a degree in economics. In a 2014 interview, he said: "What can I say? I like math. I always have. I like that it always makes sense. It is a puzzle that always has a correct answer. My dad likes math, my sister likes math, so I guess I came by it naturally. It is in our genes."

On Sunday when Flowers sacked Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan for a 12-yard loss, putting the Falcons at the New England 33, it started the stumble that took the NFC champions celebrating with a parade and visit to the White House to a loss they will never forget.

Flowers, who considered entering the NFL Draft after his junior year but changed his mind when Coach Bret Bielema visited with him and his family, showed signs of being a productive defensive end as a rookie but got hurt. Midway through this season, he became, arguably, the Patriots' best defensive player.

Flowers, very athletic for his size (he played high school basketball), had committed to Georgia Tech before visiting Arkansas and changing his mind.

During the 2014 interview, he volunteered this statement: "When you make the honor roll, you get a plaque, and those are what dad hangs on the wall every time."

He laughed when he said it, but after Sunday there's a good chance all those honor roll plaques -- and there were many -- will be joined by something from the Super Bowl.

If they gave a trophy for best defensive performance in the Super Bowl, Trey Flowers would have won.

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Flowers was not the only former Razorback on the field Sunday.

Walt Coleman, a native of Little Rock and longtime NFL referee, was the alternate referee for the Super Bowl. He was glimpsed a couple of times on TV on the sidelines.

Coleman was a Razorbacks baseball player in the early 1970s.

He's a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and second generation football official, following in the footsteps of the late, great Buddy Coleman, who was one of the top college referees for many years.

Walt's son, Walt Coleman IV, became a third-generation official and has been calling NFL games for two years after a successful career in the college ranks.

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Much has been said about Bill Belichick's ability to spot talent. The story is almost legend about drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round with pick 199, but he was far from the underdog on the starting 11 for the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Fullback James Develin, running back LeGarrette Blount and wide receiver Chris Hogan were undrafted free agents. Develin spent a season with the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the Arena Football League and Florida Tuskers of the United Football League; Blount was cut by Tennessee and Pittsburgh; and Hogan was cut by three teams before being signed by Belichick.

Julian Edelman, one of the Super Bowl heroes, was taken in the seventh round with the 232nd pick.

Offensive lineman Nate Solder was the only first round pick on offense.

The defense featured four first-round picks; three from the second; Flowers, a fourth-round pick; linebacker Rob Ninkovich, a fifth-round pick by New Orleans who was cut by them twice and Miami once; and linebacker Elandon Roberts was a sixth-round pick; and Malcolm Butler was undrafted.

Perhaps part of Belichick's genius is every player is given the same chance to win a spot on the roster.

Sports on 02/08/2017