UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 18, 2023

Rico Flores, Jr.

Press Conference

Notre Dame 45, Wake Forest 7

Q. You, Jordan, and Jaden Greathouse really controlled the passing game tonight. What has it meant for you guys to be the future guys all as freshman?

RICO FLORES JR: I mean, that's a big like big for us you know, but we can't give into that yet. Just quite yet. We still got to keep laying these bricks down game by game, practice by practice, and keep going at it every week.

Q. Coach Freeman now talked about you now have to handle that success and move forward. How do you build on this performance?

RICO FLORES JR: I feel like I've been humble my whole life. So that was today or tomorrow and now we on to Stanford next week. I don't really just stay onto my high moments.

I'll give credit to my mom, too. She was on me like that. Any time I was doing something good she was going to tell me what I did wrong. Like how Freeman was talking about he going to get on me about my fumble. Sound just like my mom.

I'm ready for that, too. Yeah, just got to keep going. Can't stay in one place. Got to elevate each game.

Q. First, how are you feeling after that hit you took where you fumbled?

RICO FLORES JR: I'm feeling good. Just got a brace for it. Better next time. I take that accountability on me. Can't blame nobody but myself for that one.

Q. To hit the 100 yards receiving mark, what's that mean to you?

RICO FLORES JR: It's exciting for sure. You talk about it every game. I came close versus Pitt, like 70 or something, but to finally get it on the record, it feels good for sure.

Q. What has been your inspiration for all this year for you?

RICO FLORES JR: Inspiration for me, I would say the people that I lost and people that are in prison or jail that I got, my loved ones and where I came from. I ain't grew up sweet at all, so that's my drive, just keep going for the people that can't and my family and mom, little sister.

Q. And the plan that you guys set up for this game was exactly what you guys were expecting from the Wake Forest secondary?

RICO FLORES JR: We knew it was going to be like, how do I say it, they was going to be ready because it's our senior game, so they want to come mess that up for our seniors.

By the grace of God we didn't let that happen and we came out victorious.

Q. Do you know the last time a wide receiver had 100 yards for Notre Dame?

RICO FLORES JR: Been hearing about it, but not quite sure.

Q. Been 24 game. It was the Fiesta Bowl two seasons ago. Your learning curve, can you relate some of specifics of your learning curve? A guy getting thrown into the action right from the beginning of the season, what have you had to learn along the way?

RICO FLORES JR: How to become more educated on the field. Like it's the little details that matter now. It's not like the big things I would say. At least for myself. It's the littlest thing. I could be an inch from where I'm supposed to lineup and that can make a whole difference of you catching or not catching the ball.

So it's the little things, and I feel like I came prepared for that to learn better, because I came in, early enroll in January, so I knew what was expected and I knew what was on the table.

Q. Throughout the week, what were conversations like between you guys to make sure that you did send out the senior class this way?

RICO FLORES JR: It's not for us. It's for our seniors. That just kept us all driven, and then we watched a video as a whole team last night and it was just like the seniors moms and dad's just talking to like them, but it was kind of for all of us in a way.

I feel like that all touched us in a certain aspect, and I just kept it for today's game.

Q. What did it feel like walking back in the tunnel after the way you guys performed today?

RICO FLORES JR: Felt great. Felt great.

Q. To help Sam Hartman and assist him in getting a win over his former team, what was that like and the conversation leading up to it or even postgame briefly after the game?

RICO FLORES JR: You know, I thanked him and I thanked our other seniors, too, all or leaders on the team to just give us that opportunity. We was pretty deep in the senior room, and for him to come out and lead us the way they did all season, can't ask for nothing better than that.