Zay Flowers played in Jacksonville in 2023 as a rookie. He played at Florida State as a college senior.
But Thursday night's game will be Flowers' first time playing back home in South Florida since he was starring in high school in Fort Lauderdale.
Flowers said he'll have about 40 family and friends in the stands at Hard Rock Stadium, and he's hoping to put on a show for them under the lights.
"That'll be fun, man," Flowers said with his beaming smile. "It means something to everybody in Florida because you've got family out there. You go back home and they're probably all Dolphins fans already, so they're probably going to talk a little trash. It's a little personal. It's special."
Flowers and Lamar Jackson share a South Florida connection that runs deep. Jackson knew about Flowers in youth football because he also knew his brothers. Flowers is the 11th of 14 children.
They, along with fellow South Florida native Tyler Huntley, are constantly hanging out at their lockers next to each other. They just get each other because they get each other's background.
Flowers was still productive even with Jackson sidelined. Huntley targeted Flowers nine times and he made a team-high seven grabs for 63 yards in the Ravens' win over the Chicago Bears.
But with Jackson now expected to return to game action in Miami, they can showcase their South Florida connection once again back home where it started.
"I think he will be popping out of his skin," Jackson said of Flowers. "Me knowing Zay, I know he's going to be ecstatic just be back down there in that atmosphere and see his family. I've played against the Dolphins before with Zay, but this is his second time, and it's going to be at home, so I know it's going to be crazy for him."
Derrick Henry hails from Yulee, Fla., just north of Jacksonville. Rookie wide receiver LaJohntay Wester is from Palmetto, Fla., closer to Tampa than Miami, and played his first four college seasons at Florida Atlantic. When he was drafted, one of his cousins at his party was already wearing a Jackson jersey.
"I only talked to the Ravens one time throughout the whole process, and then they took a shot on me," Wester said. "When they did, the whole city (Palmetto) went crazy, I went crazy. I'm coming back down there with Lamar and Zay? Florida boys. Florida Ravens."
Wester will also have a large contingent in Hard Rock Stadium Thursday night. They know his journey, and the similar journeys of the other Florida Ravens.
"It's a lifestyle for us," Wester said. "We eat, breathe, and sleep football. Growing up, we play all day, and then when the streetlights come on. That's all we know. The energy, the bond is just different. A lot of us just don't see it as a game. It can provide a lifestyle for me and my family."
