Back at Full Health, Oregon Linebacker Justin Flowe Is Ready to Attack the 2022 Season

Flowe is eager to set the tone for the Oregon defense this season after appearing in only one game last year.

Dealing with back-to-back season ending injuries can be a lot for someone to handle within their first two years of college football. That was the reality for Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe, who enters 2022 looking for a bounce-back season as he works to help take the defense to the next level.

Flowe is the second-highest recruit to ever sign with Oregon, taking home the Butkus Award his senior year in 2019. Although Flowe has only seen limited snaps due to injuries, his motivation for greatness has gone nowhere. 

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“It feels so good to be back with my team and to be practicing every day, just to be able to bring my energy and help my team just get better every day” Flowe said this week. “It helps me get better because I get to be around my guys”.

The most recent injury occurred last season after the season opener against Fresno State, where the linebacker was awarded Pac-12 Freshman of the week with 14 total tackles. No matter the situation he always seemed to be around the ball and that's something Oregon fans are excited to see back on the field.

As fall camp is starting to wrap up, the Ducks are nine days from playing in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game against Georgia. With Head Coach Dan Lanning coming from Georgia and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi from the Jacksonville Jaguars most recently, Flowe has had the opportunity to work with coaches who he deems to be just like him.

“I feel like Dan and Tosh really brought that hard-nose blitzing defense.” Flowe said describing how the new coaches have aided his development. “Really hard nose defense and they just always have that energy and that’s what I love about Dan and Tosh they always have energy. I love to bring energy, so it just goes together good."

Energy has never been something Flowe has lacked. You can see it on the field when he makes a big play, showing his fire by pounding his helmet and blasting loud screams to invigorate his teammates.

Now back at full health, Justin Flowe looks to emerge as a dominate force in Dan Lanning's defense :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

A reference that Flowe uses all over social media to describe his mindset is what he calls “HEEM.” The linebacker described what that entails on Wednesday.

“HEEM is like a mentality. So when I say 'I'm HEEM' it means I’m him, like I’m the one that’s gonna come and I’m really him. It’s not a person it's really a mentality you got to have everyday when you walk onto the field, you walk into your house, you walk into anywhere you go in life. It’s all a mentality.”

He also credits his brother Jonathan Flowe for the “HEEM” mentality while going through life together as high school teammates at Upland and now once again for the Ducks.

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Noah Sewell was someone that Flowe gave credit to when it came to having the same mindset as him. Feeding off each other at that linebacker position will be one of the keys to the success of the 2022 Oregon Ducks defense.

Both linebackers were put on the Butkus Award watch list this season in consideration for the best linebacker in all of college football.

With Sewell being the leader of the defense in 2021 alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux, the coaching staff is excited to have them both back to lead the Ducks together. 

Follow Josh on Twitter: @Josh_Parker04

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