‘Make Texas Next,’ how Texans are growing girls flag football, creating opportunities with annual showcases

HOUSTON – During a spirited audition Saturday at the Houston Methodist Training Center, high school senior football players competed in drills with college scholarships on the line.

Outside on a chilly, sunny day, girls flag football players displayed their skills for recruiters.

The Texans held their 18th annual showcase for more than 850 senior high school football players and third annual girls flag football showcase simultaneously with more than 250 girls participating. There were several college recruiters on site looking for student-athletes.

The intention behind the events: creating opportunities, especially for flag football, which is now an Olympic sport starting with the 2028 Summer Games to be held in Los Angeles and will become a professional sport next year.

The Texans, led by foundation vice president Hannah McNair, along with support from the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL want girls flag football to be voted in by the University Interscholastic League as a statewide official varsity sport in Texas.

Although the measure didn’t pass last year, there will be another vote this summer.

“Talk to your superintendents, get them to buy in and be involved and really push this forward in their areas,” McNair said. “It’s ‘Make Texas Next,’ and I will be there, so I’m excited to get this over and get it UIL sanctioned. ..

“Just speaks volumes of where this is going, in my opinion. It’s only growing year after year. These are some incredible athletes. Just looking forward to the opportunities that are provided to them.”

The event, attended by NFL global flag ambassador Ashlea Klam, is the latest initiative from the Texans supporting girls sports. They also purchased a professional women’s volleyball team last year.

The event was attended by McNair and former Texans wide receiver Cecil Shorts III.

The Texans are one of the leaders in the NFL at promoting flag football.

The chance to earn scholarships is significant. And flag football is on course to become a championship-level varsity sport at the collegiate level through the NCAA.

“It’s generational change,” McNair said. “It provides scholarships to these athletes who may not otherwise have an opportunity to go to college, and the opportunity to play in college as a high-level athlete. It just opens doors.”

McNair is encouraging girls to get involved and give the sport a try.

“Don’t be scared to try it,” McNair said. “I’ve talked to so many young athletes and they go, ‘Oh, I don’t know. My brothers play,’ or ‘I’ve watched and I’m just not sure I can do it. Some of the girliest girls they get out there and they turn into just a different person and they love it. It changes their mental toughness. They feel like they’re part of a team. It just provides a self-confidence you see the girls exhibiting.”

McNair, asked about the Texans’ 13-5 season that included a 10-game winning streak after an 0-3 start and ended in an AFC divisional round playoff game loss to the New England Patriots, is still processing the emotions of a tough loss at Gillette Stadium. The Texans’ potential Super Bowl run fell Short as they dropped to 0-7 all-time at that stage of the NFL postseason.

“It’s very hard to talk about because I’m still wishing we were there this week and I feel like we could have been there and I feel like it was was right there for us,” McNair said. “Right now, we’re going to just go back and look how to improve and what we need to look at and everybody will look like as a team to see what we need to do.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com