‘So much fun, huge momentum,’ Texans’ Hannah McNair, players teach growing sport of flag football at elementary school

HOUSTON – Hannah McNair was facing a challenge Tuesday morning, trying to match the moves of students at KIPP Peace Elementary School during a flag football event to teach the fundamentals of the game.

The Texans’ foundation vice president, joined by players Tim Settle Jr., Desmond King, Ka’dar Hollman, Xavier Hutchinson and J.J. Taylor, and retired wide receiver Cecil Shorts III, managed to pull the flag out in time.

The Texans raised more than $1.4 million in August to fund girl’s flag football programs across all 25 Houston Independent School District high schools in an initiative they hope to expand to every school over the next three years.

McNair’s daughter plays flag football. And she played flag football in college at Rice University and continues to enjoy the sport, which is scheduled to be an official Olympic sport for the 2028 Games.

“All in all, it’s a really fun sport,” McNair told KPRC 2. “You can play it co-ed. My daughter is 5 and plays on a mostly all-boys team. She also plays with Cecil Shorts’ daughter, her best friend, and they have so much fun being the girls in this league with the boys At first, they were nervous. And then they were the fastest kids out there. The joy they have playing and the joy we have watching them, we have so much fun.”

Hannah McNair would like to ultimately work with the NCAA to sanction scholarship opportunities for girls who want to play flag football at the collegiate level.

“Yes, there’s a huge momentum, especially with it being in this next Olympics in 2028,” McNair said. “There’s a huge push for it, and there’s a thirst for it, really. When we go out, people are excited. They’re asking me when I’m going to start my own league. We’ll see about that, but, right now, we’re trying to get it sanctioned in Texas. That’s our big push.”

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Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale and defensive tackle Khalil Davis visited George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday in a partnership with United. The players shadowed participants in United Special Olympic Service Ambassador program.

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