Richmond Flowers, Jr. was the starting safety for the Giants when the World Football League (WFL) came into existence in 1974. Flowers, in fact, was the first NFL player to sign with the new league. At the time he signed with “The Hawaiians” the average NFL contract was running less than $28,000 a season. Flowers signed a $200,000 contract with a $50,000 signing bonus.
Other than the large contract, the WFL basically promised Flowers a front office position and a career after football. That was the allure for Flowers – to stay in the game once he hung up his cleats.