Atlanta Falcons host 200 students in annual Girls Flag Football Showcase

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2024 Flag Football game featuring North Oconee, Dacula, Rockdale.

Credit: Caio Jardim/ GPB Sports

The sport of girl’s High school flag football continues to grow at all levels, including college. 

On Monday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Atlanta Falcons hosted their fifth annual showcase to help girls reach new heights in the sport.

200 high school athletes from across Georgia showed off their skills in a combine-like workout in front of college coaches, hoping to secure offers to play at the next level.

College coaches from the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA levels evaluated players, including Terry Allen, a former NFL player and Emmanuel University head girl's flag football coach.

"There's still some girls out there this year that haven't committed yet, so I'm looking for girls that really want to continue their education, continue their flag career," he said.

Kiarah Blackmon, a student at Druid Hills High School in Atlanta, put it all on the field at the combine.

"I’m looking to get a lot of coaches to look at me and to realize how good I am in flag football," she said.

Blackmon started playing flag football out of boredom but eventually started liking it the more she played.

"I never felt this way about no other sport, and I’m not really good at a lot of things, but flag football is one so I stuck to it," she said. "It just makes you so happy. Whatever was going on outside, it comes out of your mind. You just focus on that thing and you can make friends."

Druid Hills High School girls flag football coach, Sharaye Smith says the girls enjoyed the experience of playing in a NFL stadium more than anything.

"Who’s to say in high school you’ll be playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium? So they are enjoying the opportunity, the environment, the atmosphere, the energy, good vibes all over," she said.

Since the start of the Flag Football Showcase in 2021, more than 100 flag football offers have been given to Georgia students.

For more flag football coverage, visit GPB Sports.