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Op-Ed: Youth FLAG Championships showcase 'Football for All' at its most competitive
Tackle football has been part of my entire life, going back to my Pop Warner days with the Morrisville Little Bulldogs. Pennsbury High School, Wisconsin, the National Football League as a player and now an executive -- each chapter has reinvigorated my love for the game.
But along the way this became very apparent: The game I grew up playing isn't accessible to everyone. There are countless people who've been on the sidelines: girls and young women; boys who aren't interested in full contact; families that can't afford the equipment; parents looking for an alternative to tackle for their kids; children and adults with disabilities.
july 16, 2024
Opinion: Men, what does our silence imply?
Let’s end domestic violence
If you’re doing the work, you know the significance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Yes, it’s about awareness. October is set aside to connect with the public, in unison, about ending gender-based violence.
That’s where far too many of us — primarily men — are remaining silent.
october 3, 2024
Op-Ed: Fly, girls, fly: Let’s make girls’ flag football
a thing in Pennsylvania
My oldest daughter, Desiré.
She also excelled in youth football — flag football. By the time she got to high school, Desiré had dropped the sport — not by choice. Opportunities for girls to play varsity football were extremely rare, and exclusively tackle football, in the early 2000s. College scholarships? Competition at elite levels?Nonexistent.
Times have changed.
May 30, 2024
WA girls deserve the chance to play varsity flag football
It’s a big week for the future of football.
While headlines are dominated by the Seattle Seahawks’ picks in the NFL draft, there’s another development happening under the radar with long-lasting implications. Washington could soon become the 12th state to sanction girls’ flag football as a high school sport.
april29, 2024
Op-Ed: Ohio can make a statement by
adopting girls’ flag football in high school
This July, the country’s top flag football teams will assemble in Canton, Ohio, for NFL FLAG’s annual All 32 Tournament. It’s a big moment, complete with national broadcast coverage.
And all eyes will be on the girls’ bracket.
march 31, 2024
Heavenly Father, As we step into the freshness of January 2024
Heavenly Father,
As we step into the freshness of January 2024, we come before You with open hearts and hopeful spirits. We acknowledge that life brings its share of trials, and some of us are walking through valleys of shadows and uncertainty. In these moments, we cling to Your promises and Your unchanging word. Lord, we remember the words of Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” In times of distress, may we find solace in Your presence, knowing You re our safe haven and our fortress.
janurary 2, 2024
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for bringing us to see and be part of another amazing year
Lord, You are our strength, peace, joy and our shield. Father, we ask that You bless those in need, there are many who are suffering and less fortunate than us. In our moments of doubt, Lord, remind us that Your grace is sufficient and Your mercy is endless. Holy Spirit, be our constant comfort and help guiding us through each day.
janurary 1, 2024
Op-Ed: Reflections on parenting, suicide prevention and mental health in athletics
Let's take the focus off football for a minute.
Warning up front: If you've been affected by a loved one's death by suicide -- or if you've had suicidal thoughts yourself -- this conversation may be triggering. Please know that before reading on.
october 6, 2023
Op-Ed: Flag football can't be ignored; time to get on board is now
As a senior executive with the National Football League, a five-time Pro Bowler and a soon-to-be-inducted member of the College Football Hall of Fame, football has been part of my life since playing as a little kid in Trenton, New Jersey. The game has provided a great life for me and my family.
But let's be real.
july 29, 2023
Op-Ed: Cultivating an inclusive personnel pipeline is about prospects getting better -- and us being better
Turnover is a fact of life in professional football. Every year, NFL clubs make changes to their coaching staffs and front offices.
june 29, 2023
Supply and demand_ Women driving momentum toward widespread flag football adoption
Opportunity doesn’t knock. It presents itself when you kick in the door.
hat quote, or a version of it, is attributed to actor Kyle Chandler, best known for the TV drama “Friday Night Lights” about boys’ high school football in Texas.
june 5, 2023
Op-Ed: Reflections on Black excellence and the NFL's role in driving generational impact
It was at the site of the HBCU Week and college fair in Wilmington, Delaware, where the spotlight shines on our nation's excellent Historically Black Colleges and Universities each fall.
feburary 27, 2023
Op-Ed Buffalo News: Another Voice~ Flag football is truly inclusive
As a National Football League executive, it’s been remarkable having a front-row seat to flag football’s explosion. Flag has grown to 20 million players in more than 100 countries because it’s truly inclusive. The sport opens participation to women, people with disabilities, the young and old, and our neighbors who may struggle to afford tackle equipment. It’s football for all.
january 31, 2023
Op-Ed Sacremento Bee: Bring Girls Flag Football to CA High Schools
The next frontier for California high school sports.
january 25, 2023
Op-Ed: Building a winner means committing to NFL's equitable hiring practices
Each club in the National Football League has one goal: to be the best.
Getting there takes a relentless commitment to excellence, a constant and ongoing evaluation of how to improve.
january 19, 2023
Op-Ed: Their causes, their impact: Player-led initiatives are a multiplying force for good
Brandon Marshall couldn't have known it at the time.
Back in October 2013, when he decided to wear lime-green cleats for Mental Health Awareness Week during a prime-time game, realizing he'd probably be fined for a uniform violation, Marshall set in motion an unstoppable force for good.
That moment sparked what would become My Cause My Cleats.
December 8, 2022
Why Wait? Strike Now, Get Results
While procrastination might relieve the pressure of the moment, over the long-term it can have negative consequences.
December 2, 2022
Choosing Positivity
There have been times when in my life where a discouraging word or tone caused me to think negatively, set my day on the wrong track. There have been times when one person’s attitude and body posture has pulled down an entire team. Think about how much stronger each of us are when someone exhibits a positive attitude or says an encouraging word.
november 11, 2022
Stewardship
How we manage and care for the what has been entrusted to us will reflect our values. Stewardship is learned by what we see practiced and valued. It reflects our long-term thinking both professionally and personally.
October 31, 2022
Service is A Choice
We can look at examples in our community of service. We have seen the dedication and selflessness of first responders—doctors, nurses, EMTs, soldiers, educators, and men and women of law enforcement. We honor their service. But it shouldn’t stop at their doorsteps.
October 14, 2022
Op-Ed: Flag is football's future -- and it belongs in the Olympics
These next words may surprise you.
Flag is the future of football. Before you run out of the room screaming, try to hear me out...
October 10, 2022
Growing the game — and giving back — through NFL Africa Initiative
Football is for everyone. The benefits of football are undeniable, and the character-building aspects of the sport have never been up for debate. We want to bring those advantages — so many of which I experienced by participating in the sport — to Africa’s boys and girls.
july 13, 2022
Op-Ed: The Power of Networking in the NFL
At the Spring League Meeting in May, networking will be the centerpiece of a two-day event aimed at improving inclusion of minority and female candidates for head coaching and general manager positions.
May 19, 2022
Op-Ed: The NFL is ready for its first openly out active player
My name is Troy Vincent. I am a husband, a father and a grandfather. A brother, an uncle and a nephew. A Black man and a Christian. My pronouns are he, his, him. I identify as straight and cisgender.
october 9, 2020
"Drinking from wells we did not dig"
A generation of visionaries who put their thoughts to action in changing society for the better has passed the baton of equality and justice to a new generation, now more than ever awakened to the challenges of racism, economic and educational disparity, and equality. What have we learned? What have they taught us?
august 3, 2020
"The Talk"
Last Friday, our middle son Taron was excited to get back to campus in Columbus, Ohio, a six-hour drive from our home in Virginia. Before he left, I began my normal routine of getting his car ready by checking every headlight and tail light, and making sure the brake lights were working properly. I located his...
