FOXBORO, Mass. — Perhaps the scenes were cut from the classic Adam Sandler football film, but we didn’t see Bobby Boucher work on his technique very often in “The Waterboy.”
Defensive end Trey Flowers compared himself to Boucher shortly after being drafted by the Patriots in his first conference call with the New England media. He’s since earned the nickname “Technique” from his teammates, and through his hard work on fundamentals has piled up seven sacks in his last seven games.
“I think a lot of guys just were joking about it, just saying how I go through the drills and stuff,” Flowers said sheepishly about his nickname. “It started out as a joke and gassin’ a little bit, and I guess somebody told the media, and they’re asking a lot of questions about it.
“I think just having great technique puts you in position to make plays. That’s one thing I take pride in.”
Sometimes a player needs an extra jolt to finish for a sack. This is especially true for Flowers, who’s rushing inside.
“Yeah, I got that ‘Waterboy’ mindset,” Flowers said. “But that’s all good.”
Flowers’ teammates might be ribbing him with the “Technique” nickname, but it comes from a place of reverence.
“We respect how he works and how well he goes about his business,” Rob Ninkovich said Wednesday. “In this game, respect goes a long way, so respect the fact that he’s a tremendous worker and on top of that a tremendous player. …
“He’s a very good technician. He’s great with his hands and his arms are twice the length of mine, so he’s a very good football player with utilizing the gifts that he has as a player and using those to his advantage.”
ESPN commentator and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said Flowers might be the Patriots’ best defensive player during a “Monday Night Football” broadcast two weeks ago. With the way his teammates talk about him, they seem to agree.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
