Ranchview High School senior Valeria De Leon received a surprise recently when the Dallas Cowboys announced her as their NFL Latino Youth Honors award nominee during a special campus visit. With roots from Monterrey, Mexico, she quickly became a standout both as a student and as a flag football player. 

“I started playing just a year ago and fell in love with it,” she said. “Flag football has become such a big part of my life.”

During the 2024-25 season, she helped lead Ranchview to the top of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Division, finishing with a strong 4-1 record and reaching the championship game. Over the season, De Leon recorded 20 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, showcasing her skill and versatility.

“This is such a great experience,” De Leon said after the announcement. “I feel grateful to be part of this project, and I’m so happy to share it with my coaches and the whole Cowboys program.”

Her skills earned her a spot on the first-ever Dallas Cowboys ELITE Girls Flag Football Team, a hand-picked roster of the best players from North Texas who won the Flag Football Summer Nationals Championship in August.

For De Leon, the honor is about more than recognition. 

“I want to be great in school and get a scholarship,” she said. “I want to keep playing, but I also hope to study law. Hopefully I can do both at the same time.”

As part of the Latino Youth Honors program, each of the NFL’s 32 teams nominates one male and one female high school senior to represent their franchise. Finalists will be considered as part of the activities preceding Super Bowl LX in San Francisco, and the two winners will each receive a $25,000 grant to support their college education.