Watch: Ravens rookie WR Zay Flowers gifts father new car
As one of 14 siblings, Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Zay Flowers saw firsthand how much his father Willie sacrificed for their family.
After his mother, Jackie Walden, died in 2005 from a head injury, Willie looked after Zay and his 13 siblings by himself. Once he made it to the NFL, Zay knew it was time to pay his father back, gifting him a brand-new Mercedes luxury SUV on Tuesday.
"I used to see him get up and go to work at 4 a.m. in the morning; he did that every day Monday through Friday," Zay said, via the team’s official website. "Then he would get up Saturday, wash our clothes at the wash house, cook everybody breakfast and take us to football games. Then, do the same thing Sunday, and then go back to work Monday. So, just seeing him do that, it gave me my drive."
Though Zay hasn’t signed with Ravens yet, his contract is expected to be in the neighborhood of $14.03 million with $7.21 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac’s salary projections for his draft slot (No. 22 overall). His agent Eric Dounn tweeted that the SUV was the first thing Zay bought with the marketing money he’s made so far.
Zay also credits Willie for being the one to inspire him to overcome his size issues by modeling his game after former Carolina Panthers All-Pro receiver Steve Smith. The two WRs are both 5-foot-9 and weigh approximately 190 pounds.
"He always kept me motivated and said, 'You have to be like Steve Smith; Steve Smith was a dog,’” Zay added.
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