Flowers, DePalma awards

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The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced its major award winners Monday with BC senior wide receiver Zay Flowers (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) named recipient of the 84th Bulger Lowe Award as the area’s best offensive player. BC graduate linebacker Vinny DePalma (Wayne, N.J.) was also announced as winner of the 78th Swede Nelson Award for sportsmanship, academics, and athletics achievement.
 
Flowers is the first recipient of the Bulger Lowe at BC since tight end Hunter Long in 2020. He leads the Eagles with 70 receptions, 967 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He ranks first in the ACC and 12th in the NCAA in yards, second in the ACC and sixth in the NCAA in touchdowns, and second in the ACC and 15th in the NCAA in receptions.
 
Flowers’ 70 receptions are tied for the fourth most in a season at BC, while his 10 touchdowns are tied for first and 967 yards are fourth with one game remaining. In recent weeks, he has taken over the career receptions and career receiving yards records at BC.
 
A three-year letterwinner with the Eagles, DePalma, who redshirted his freshman season, returned from missing 2020 due to an Achilles injury to be a mainstay in the middle of the BC defense over the past two seasons. Through 11 games, he leads Boston College with 83 tackles, after making a career-high 12 last Saturday at Notre Dame. He has added six tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
 
DePalma, who along with Flowers is a team captain of the 2022 Eagles, earned his degree in management and leadership and is now working on a Masters in Sport Administration. He holds an overall GPA of 3.761 and posted a 4.000 in spring 2022.

Flowers and DePalma are to receive their awards at the Gridiron Club’s college football awards night December 19.