EIU Award Winner List
Eastern Illinois football player
MJ Flowers has been named the Panthers 2023-24 Male Newcomer of the Year after helping the Panthers football resurgence when ended with an 8-3 record and Top 25 national ranking.
Flowers was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award presented to the top Freshman in FCS football becoming the first Panther ever to be a finalist for the award. In addition he was named the Big South/OVC Association Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-Conference selection and earned multiple Freshman All-American team accolades.
On the field Flowers rushed for a team best 854 yards which was second nationally among FCS freshmen. He had 1,046 all-purpose yards which was second nationally among FCS freshmen. He had three games with 100 or more yards rushing with a breakout performance of 272 yards on 37 carries with one touchdown in win over McNeese earning him FCS National Freshman of the Week honors for that performance. Flowers added a 201 yard rushing performance on 31 carries with four touchdowns in win over Tennessee State and closed out regular season with 179 yards on 31 carries and one score in road win at Robert Morris. He was one of six players in the FCS with multiple 200-yard rushing games during the season and the only freshman to accomplish that feat. The 272 rushing yards against McNeese were the third best single game total in school history while the four rushing touchdowns against Tennessee State were tied for third most in a single game in school history (one of nine players in school history with four or more TDs in a game). Flowers became just third running back in school history with two or more 200-yard rushing games in a season... He added 35 receptions for 192 yards with the 35 receptions tied for third most on the team and led EIU in scoring with 48 points. He ended the regular season ranked 29th in the FCS in rushing yards and 38th in rushing touchdowns.
Flowers was one of four candidates for this year's award joined on the list by
Pierce Holley (football),
Bryce Riggs (baseball) and
Joe Stoddard (cross country / track & field).
EIU will continue the release of its end-of-year awards next week with the Male & Female Athlete of the Year set for Monday & Tuesday with the Male & Female Athletic Director's Award set for Wednesday & Thursday. McKenzie Oslanzi from softball was named the Female Newcomer of the Year on Thursday.
