KENMORE, N.Y. — NFL executive and former Buffalo Bill Troy Vincent stopped by Mount St. Mary Academy on Wednesday after a student wrote to him expressing an interest in flag football.
Vincent spoke with the young women there about making football more inclusive.
Members of the freshman class learned about the NFL's push to make flag football an Olympic sport in 2028 in Los Angeles.
That's when they wrote to Troy Vincent and he agreed to visit the school to meet with students in small groups, then the entire student body. Vincent is now the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL.
He believes that the students who want to bring flag football to their school will help show that football is for everyone.
They talked about equity and inclusion in football.
Some of the main points brought up by the student leaders were that they think flag football should start in middle school. They also shared their opinions about marketing the sport to kids and families.
"Young women don't want things to be separate. Flag football is flag football. Whether it's male or female. It needs to be the same," Vincent said. "Taking into account their uniforms. They talked about making sure that uniforms, they talked about they should be for all body types. So that was, they were very specific around race and how we market and who we market to. They want to see themselves as leaders."
Vincent will take what he learned Wednesday back to the NFL to share it with his colleagues, who are working on advancing flag football just like he is.
While at the school on Wednesday, Vincent also spoke about how the community has rallied around Damar Hamlin and what means to him.
"That was a moment, unfortunately, it was a moment around a crisis, but it showed the power and the influence of the game. And what do I mean by that? Everyone around the country was praying. Everyone was hopeful. There was no color. There was no race. There was no division. We saw America come together. Ushering and praying that a life be sustained," Vincent said.
Vincent also said that as Hamlin's health gets better, it provides inspiration for his teammates, coaches, and the fans.
By the way, some of the young women also shared some exciting news on Wednesday. The NFL Pro Bowl is a flag football game for the first time this year, and they will be there to see it in-person.