Former Giants Players Attend Section IV Flag Football Kickoff

Jonathan Casillas and Ryan Nassib helped lead drills and provide instruction at the event.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:38am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a girls' flag football game, with the players and field broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes in vibrant team colors against a muted background, capturing the energy and movement of the sport.Former Giants players inspire the next generation of flag football stars at the Section IV kickoff event.Binghamton Today

Former New York Giants players Jonathan Casillas and Ryan Nassib attended a Section IV girls flag football kickoff event on Saturday at Susquehanna Valley High School. The two former NFL players participated in drills and provided instruction to the approximately 400 girls who attended the event, despite the frigid temperatures.

Why it matters

Flag football is the fastest growing sport in the world, and its popularity is increasing in the Section IV region of New York. The involvement of former NFL players like Casillas and Nassib helps raise the profile of the sport and encourages more girls to get involved.

The details

All 17 Section IV flag football teams participated in the kickoff event. Casillas, a former Giants linebacker, said the girls were 'getting after it' and had tremendous positive attitudes despite the cold weather. Nassib, a former Giants quarterback, was happy to return to an area he knows well to help promote the sport he loves. Members of the Binghamton Patriots flag football team said the former players brought energy and confidence to the event.

  • The kickoff event took place on Saturday, March 29, 2026.

The players

Jonathan Casillas

A former linebacker for the New York Giants.

Ryan Nassib

A former quarterback for the New York Giants and Syracuse University.

Vaughn Labor

A representative who said the Giants have been key supporters of flag football in Section IV since the beginning.

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What they’re saying

“'Flag football is the number one growing sport in the world, and it's good to see that it's growing in this part of New York. A lot of girls stepped up. These girls were getting after it, they were having fun and it was cold. The positive attitudes that I got from every single team and every single player, it was tremendous today.'”

— Jonathan Casillas, Former Giants Linebacker

“'I'm so happy to be up here and also pushing this sport and expanding it to both boys and girls to be able to play a sport that I grew up just loving and really dedicated a big part of my life to.'”

— Ryan Nassib, Former Giants Quarterback

“'They brought a lot of energy and I feel like we needed that today, on a super cold day. And they gave us a lot of confidence.'”

— Binghamton Patriots Player

“'The Giants have been key members of this since the beginning. They were around day one, providing support in different ways. They come up here, they bring the energy, they bring their players. They're one of the reasons why this sport is the way that it is here in Section IV.'”

— Vaughn Labor

What’s next

The Section IV flag football season will continue with more games and events throughout the spring.

The takeaway

The involvement of former NFL players like Casillas and Nassib in the Section IV flag football kickoff event highlights the growing popularity of the sport, especially among young girls. Their participation and enthusiasm helped energize the players and demonstrate the support the Giants organization has provided to the development of flag football in the region.