Among the stars! Diana Flores leaves her mark in the Hall of Fame

Diana Flores, world champion with the Mexican flag football team, has become the first player of this sport to have artifacts exhibited in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

This collection is part of an exhibition about the Super Bowl LVII “Run With It” commercial, which Diana Flores starred in. The flag football jersey that Diana wore in the commercial is one of the centerpieces of the exhibit.

“This is very important. As well as being the first flag football player, I’m the first Latin American woman and the first Mexican woman to be among the NFL legends in the Hall of Fame,” said the athlete.

The Pro Bowl Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame dedicated to honoring the memory of players, coaches, owners, and other important contributors to professional American Football in the United States.

It’s located in Canton, Ohio, and it is considered the most prestigious place for recognizing achievement and excellence in professional American football.

The commercial that changed the history of flag football

The NFL’s ‘Run With It’ commercial debuted during the Super Bowl LVII broadcast (when the Kansas City Chiefs won the game) and recently received a Sport Emmy for Public Service Content.

This commercial starring the Mexican athlete is part of the NFL’s efforts to promote and promote flag football and women in sports through the message: ‘To the women pushing football forward, we can’t wait to see where you take this game.’

At the beginning of the commercial, reporter Erin Andrews is shown asking Diana if there is someone who can take away her flags, to which she replies, “I’m sure someone can.” After Flores dodges an attempt by the reporter, she runs away.

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You can then see how various characters played by American footballers such as quarterback and Hall of Fame star Jim Kelly try to steal Diana’s flags without success.

Other famous athletes who joined Diana in the commercial include tennis legend Billie Jean King and New York Jets player Sauce Gardner.

Among the pieces exhibited in the Hall of Fame is the ball used by Diana in the commercial, which has been autographed by King and Gardener.

“In addition to being the first flag football player, I’m the first Latin American woman and the first Mexican woman to be among the NFL legends in the hall of fame.”

“This is a statement that flag football is here to stay and will continue to grow. A new door has opened, allowing more players to be part of the hall of fame.

“Previously, we couldn’t imagine this was possible, and now it’s happening. Seeing how everything has grown and thinking about the future of our sport gives me such great joy,” commented the flag football world champion.

A career on the rise

During the Sports Emmys Diana also received an award for the documentary entitled “Diana Flores: The Champion of Nextitla,” in the Outstanding Piece in Spanish category. The feature film covers Flores’ career since her start in flag football.

The Tec graduate and Mexican flag football team quarterback is currently considered the best player in the world. She is now the winner of two Sports Emmys, is in the Hall of Fame and participated as an NFL Pro Bowl offensive coordinator alongside NFL legend Peyton Manning in 2022.

Flores explains how all her achievements have allowed her to go beyond flag football and have given her the opportunity to promote gender parity laws in the Senate together with the soccer player Paola Kuri and the first Mexican woman to go into space, Katya Echazarreta, as well as representing the Latin American community at a Nasdaq event and the Mexican Consulate in New York.

“Suddenly, it’s bigger than sports: it became about representing the Latin American community, and then not just Latin American women, but all women both within and outside of sports.”

The last few months have been full of decisive moments in the world champion’s career. Diana explains that all her experiences have led her to find her mission in life and confirm that she will continue to represent Mexico at the highest possible level in the future.

“My mission is to continue opening doors for girls and women in all contexts,” concludes Diana Flores.

The former captain of the Tec Santa Fe campus flag football team and of the Mexican national team was invited to participate as a guest speaker at the “Forever Tec” ceremony.

At the event she shared words of encouragement with future Tec graduates and unveiled the Santa Fe campus’ official June 2023 cohort graduation plaque.

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