Tennessee will open its 2024 campaign against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 31.

In anticipation of the season opener, VolReport is highlighting a former Vols player whose jersey number matches the amount of days until kickoff.

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With 22 days to go, Richmond Flowers Jr., who doubled as an All-American wingback on Tennessee's football team and was a national champion hurdler on the track team during his career between 1966-68, is selected.

Flowers was from Montgomery, Alabama, the son of state attorney general Richmond Flowers who attracted national attention for challenging the segregationist policies in the state during the early 1960s.

The younger Flowers overcame health issues to became a star track runner at Sidney Lanier High School and though in-state Alabama and head coach Bear Bryant pursued him during his recruitment, the success of Tennessee's track and field team played a factor in his decision to sign with the Vols.

Flowers was relegated to the JV team as a freshman in 1965 due to NCAA rules, but played in 10 games as a sophomore, totaling 35 receptions for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns, including a score in the Vols' 18-12 win over Syracuse in the 1966 Gator Bowl.

It set the stage for a prolific junior year in 1967, one that helped lead Tennessee to an SEC and national title-winning season.

Flowers had a breakout campaign that year, netting a career-high 41 catches for 585 yards. He scored four touchdowns, earning First Team All-American status as the Vols earned an Orange Bowl bid and were tabbed National Champions by Litkenhous ratings.

As a senior in 1968, Flowers moved positions from wingback to tailback. Though he missed multiple games with an injury, he managed to carry the ball 111 times for 375 yards and seven touchdowns.

Among Flowers' most memorable performances in his final season at Tennessee came against Georgia Tech when he rushed for 101 yards and his touchdown in the Vols' 10-9 victory against Alabama. He scored twice in a 42-18 rout of UCLA.

As a hurdler, Flowers was a three-time All-American and claimed six individual SEC titles. He was the 1968 indoor track national champion in the 60-yard hurdles. A hamstring injury kept him from competing for the United States in the Olympic Games that year.

Flowers selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft and spent three seasons with the franchise and mainly played safety and special teams.

Through a trade, Flowers played his last three seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, earning a starting spot at strong safety and nabbing four interceptions in 1972.

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