Joe Flacco isn’t the only member of the Flacco family playing professional sports in Maryland.
Joe’s younger brother Mike is currently in the Orioles minor league system and has split time playing between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie this past season. With a combined .214 batting average and eight home runs to his name last season, Mike is beginning the transition to trade his batting helmet for one more appropriate for football.
USA Today’s Mike Garafolo interviewed Mike Flacco who has decided he is going to attempt to follow in his older brother’s footsteps in play in the NFL.
“I want to be there with him,” Mike Flacco said. “I see everything he’s doing on the field and off the field, I want to do the same things. I’m just excited for Joe, excited to go down there. My stuff is my stuff. I’ve got to find my own ground. I know all of Joe’s success may help me, but at the same time I have to find what I want to do.”
After being selected by the Orioles in the 31st round of the 2009 draft, the chances of Mike playing in the stadium next to the one his brother occupies in the winter have become slimmer. He doesn’t possess the arm that his brother has but he does have a similar frame…that was until he added 30 pounds of muscle in an attempt to develop as a tight end.
Mike hasn’t played football since high school according to Garafolo but he is surrounded by the necessary assets to help give him a realistic opportunity to develop into a talent good enough for the pro level. Aside from his brother throwing him the ball, he can rely on one of his brother’s best friends, Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, for some pointers at the position.
For the same reason anyone knew of a 31st round draft pick in the Orioles minor league system, Flacco will receive recognition based off of his name. After the draft in April and as teams begin to fill their roster with undrafted free agents, it’s likely that Flacco will receive at least a few tryouts to make it onto a team’s expanded 90-man roster during training camp.
