“Just Go with the FLO”, or whatever the Dallas Cowboys said when naming receiver Ryan Flournoy, the starter opposite George Pickens heading into Week 5 against the New York Jets.
Already missing top dog Cedarian Lamb since the second game of the year & having ruled out playmaker KaVontae Turpin, the natural expectation would be to see 2022 third round pick Jalen Tolbert become the primary beneficiary of the plethora of targets waiting to be had, right?
Wrong.
While Tolbert has made some plays this year for sure (see his 34-yard toe tap grab from Dak against the Packers), Sunday, October 5th would see another talented pass catcher steal the show.
Ladies & gentlemen, introducing Angela & Terry’s baby boy, Mr. RYAN. FLOURNOY (cue the applause).
A 6-foot 1 inch, 200-pound playmaker hailing from Hazel Crest, Illinois, Flournoy was selected in the sixth round (216th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. He’d see action in ten games his rookie year, starting just one, while posting 10 catches for 102 yards.
Earlier this year on August 28th, Ryan would see himself cut from the roster before being signed to the practice squad. Even so, he clearly ensured he stayed ready so he wouldn’t have to GET ready if & when his number was called.
Speaking of his number being called, he dons the number 19 these days but that wasn’t always the case.
The soon to be 26-year-old pro (Happy Birthday young fella) wore #18 during preseason his rookie year before switching to the number 80 for the duration of the season.
Earlier this year on March 18th, he announced another jersey swap, this time choosing 19.
During media coverage today as the team prepares for Carolina, Ryan revealed he chose these digits because of the recently retired route running extraordinaire Amari Cooper & former breakout star in the late 2000s Miles Austin, citing the trio’s shared combination of size, speed & style of play.
While Cooper isn’t too far removed from his tenure with the team, some may have forgotten just how good Miles Austin was, or when it was that he first showed it.
Beginning his NFL career in Dallas in 2006, Austin also wore a different number (14) before switching to #19 his sophomore year, although his time to shine wouldn’t come till later.
Back on October 4th of the 2009 season while playing the Broncos, then Cowboys starter Roy Williams suffered a rib injury after taking a hit from linebacker D.J. Williams (told y’all I played ball in another life).
The injury ended up keeping Roy from suiting up on the road the following week against the Chiefs. It also set the stage for one of the most memorable breakouts from a player wearing the Star of my childhood.
Special-teams player Miles Austin, owner coming into the season of 18 catches, 354 yards & 3 touchdowns, would see his first career start, & would turn it into history. He broke the franchise record for receiving yards in a game (250) on 10 catches while making two trips to the end zone. One of those would be a 60-yarder from Tony Romo in overtime to win the game.
In the matter of 60+ minutes, Austin went from undrafted free agent pickup to star. The talent was always there, & when the opportunity presented itself to display it, he took full advantage.
How ironic it feels that we find ourselves here, over a decade & a half later, watching another pass catcher wearing 19 seize his opportunity & show up when his name was called.
Ryan Flournoy torched the Jets, catching 6 of 9 targets for 114 yards & producing 10 rushing yards on two carries. Most of his damage was done in the first two quarters but by halftime it was more than enough to help the Cowboys get out to a strong 23-3 lead. Pro Focus Football graded his performance out at 90.7.
The Southeast Missouri State product routinely displayed strong hands & ball tracking ability, making a few tough catches while turning shorter passes into positive gains.
Flournoy is in his second year, & he’s fresh off of the best outing of his career. Could it be too early to be feeling gitty about the young fella? Sure. Could it be the precursor to the start of a career solidifying run? Definitely. All I do know is, the arrow is pointing UP, & the jersey #88 may soon find itself making room for another sought-after pair of digits future stars don in Big D. Number 19 in Dallas has seen the likes of Lance Rentzel (led league in TDs in 1969), Lance Alworth (Hall of Famer), former #1 overall pick Keyshawn Johnson, Austin & Cooper, & could have found its wielder for the foreseeable future in Flournoy.
