California kid enjoying Arkansas lifestyle, team

After spending two years at a California community college, Austin Flynn (41) is ready to make his mark at Arkansas. He was among the top defensive ends in spring practice.

After spending two years at a California community college, Austin Flynn (41) is ready to make his mark at Arkansas. He was among the top defensive ends in spring practice.

Friday, July 27, 2012

— Austin Flynn had spent his whole life in southern California before joining the Arkansas football team in January as a junior college transfer.

“It’s totally different out here, but in a good way,” said Flynn, a defensive end who was born and raised in Torrance, Calif. “There are just so many people in Los Angeles everywhere you go, it’s always so packed.

“Here, you pull up at a light and there’s only three cars. You pull up at a light where I’m from and there are 100 cars.

“It’s a different pace, much slower, but I like it. It’s better for me.”

said Tyler Deacon, a fifth-year senior guard from Little Rock. “He’s seems to be catching on.”

Flynn said among the outdoor activities he’s enjoyed in Arkansas are hiking Devil’s Den State Park and going to the lake to fish or swim.

“You can do those things in California, too, but you’re going to have drive a while,” Flynn said. “Here it’s so much easier to get where you’re going.”

Flynn thought he was going to a major college program out of Torrance South High School — Southern Cal, UCLA. Oregon, Miami and Texas A&M were among those recruiting him — but an academic issue that wasn’t discovered until December of his senior year prevented that.

The Razorbacks have been helping Flynn make the transition to the South.

“We’ve made Austin eat gumbo and drink sweet tea, and we’ve told him it’s OK to say ‘Hi’ to people on the street, even if you don’t know them. Just strike up a conversation,”

“Long story short, a counselor totally screwed up something,” Flynn said. “It sucked because I was getting recruited by so many people.

“I was really upset about it, and I was kind of depressed. But I got over it. I just had to move on and accept the fact I had to go to a junior college.”

Flynn chose Los Angeles Harbor Community College, where his older brothers, Sean and Kyle, had played for Coach Brett Peabody before going on to San Jose State.

“I’ve known Coach Peabody practically my whole life, so that was a good situation for me,” Flynn said.

Flynn said he was “kind of shocked” when Arkansas started recruiting him before his sophomore season at Harbor. During a practice, he noticed Willy Robinson — the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator at the time — in a red Arkansas shirt.

“We had some great players on the team, and I asked Coach Peabody, ‘Who’s Arkansas here for?’ ” Flynn said. “He said, ‘They’re here to check you out.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I need to bring my A game today.’

“I guess I did, because that’s when Arkansas started contacting me more, as much as they could. My family was extremely excited about me being recruited by an SEC school.”

Flynn, who had 11 sacks in 10 games last season at Harbor, signed with Arkansas after considering several other offers, including ones from Oregon, Oregon State and Oklahoma.

“I was looking to play in a great college town, and Fayetteville is the perfect place,” Flynn said. “I love it here.”

Flynn is an imposing physical presence at 6-5, 260 pounds, but he stood out even more in the spring with his long hair and beard.

“When you look at him, your eyes go, ‘Hey, that’s the kind of guy you like to see on your football team on the defensive side of the ball,’ ” Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson said. “He’s a big, strong guy, and then he’s also got the scruff going on for an intimidation factor.”

The Razorbacks gave Flynn nicknames like “Mountain Man” and “Lumberjack.”

“I don’t know how he does it with a chin strap,” Deacon said.

“But he seems to make it work.”

Josh Waybright, Flynn’s coach at Torrance South, said he also was “a beast” before his hair and beard got so long.

“Early his junior year, there was a game where he came from the far side and ran down a guy 20 yards downfield,” Waybright said. “ I remember thinking, ‘Well, he’s a little bit different than some of these other guys.’ ”

Flynn played defensive end and tight end in high school.

“I thought he’d played on defense in college,” Waybright said.

“He has that mentality, that kind of motor. But off the field, he has the personality to fit in anywhere. He’s a real genuine kid — I guess I should say man now.”

Flynn played much of the spring with a left arm injury, but he didn’t miss any practices.

“He really came on the last few days and started playing a lot faster and looking like the guy we saw on film last year,” Arkansas defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell said. “He has the speed, he has the power, and now he’s more comfortable with what we’re doing.”

Flynn said it was a matter of learning the defense.

“That was hard in the beginning, thinking so much before each snap,” he said. “But by the end of spring, I wasn’t really thinking, I was just going.”

Flynn said he never questioned his decision to sign with Arkansas after Bobby Petrino’s firing as the Razorbacks’ coach midway through spring practice.

“Stuff’s going to happen,” Flynn said. “We weren’t expecting it, but you’ve got to work through it and stay together as a team.”

John L. Smith, who left Weber State to replace Petrino, was an Arkansas assistant the previous three years and helped recruit Flynn.

“I think it’s awesome Coach Smith is back here,” Flynn said. “All the guys are excited, so that makes me feel good, too.”

Smith said he expects a big season from Flynn.

“Of course, I didn’t get to see him in the spring, but the feedback is he’s going to be a player,” Smith said.

Smith said how long Flynn’s hair and beard are before practice starts will determine if he needs to trim them.

“I might shave the beard and keep the long hair, or I might keep the beard and shave my head,” Flynn said. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Sports, Pages 21 on 07/27/2012