Izell Reese Opens Community Center in Dothan, AL to House NFL FLAG Football

Izell Reese has teamed up with the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL Foundation-LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program to build the first NFL FLAG community center field in Dothan, Alabama - Izell’s hometown where he grew up and became a standout football player.

Reese walked on the UAB Football Team and earned his spot on the starting lineup at strong safety his freshman year. Reese eventually got drafted in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played in the league for seven seasons, also playing for the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. Though Reese has since stepped away from PLAYING the game, he remains close by dedicating this chapter of his career to positively impacting the lives of youth athletes through sports. In 2019, Reese created and launched RCX Sports, a business designed to engage youth athletes, families, and fans in new, innovative, and experiential ways. He has also been the Executive Director of NFL FLAG for over two years.

As a Dothan native, Reese said he began dreaming of making an impact on the community he grew up in, as well as all the aspiring youth athletes in Dothan, several years ago. Now, through support from the NFL Foundation and the Atlanta Falcons, Reese’s dream is quickly turning to reality.

NFL FLAG Field Coming to Dothan

In January 2023, Reese took part in a groundbreaking ceremony on the site where a brand new NFL FLAG community center and three artificial turf flag football fields would be placed. Just a few months later, Reese hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for Grandview Field, Izell Reese Community Center. The center will house NFL FLAG, along with multiple other sports, education and health and wellness programs.

“This is on a whole different level of when I was drafted by the Cowboys,” Reese said of the importance to him of the project, according to Dothan Eagle. “That was an individual accolade and obviously a lot of people helped me get there, but to come back to my community and be able to serve and impact the lives of so many kids here and around the nation and world with the work I get to do now.. this is a great way to come back home and do something sustainable,” he continued.

In addition to the three turf fields, there are six more grass fields located less than two blocks away at city-owned Wiregrass Park. Given the proximity and the number of fields, the organization will be able to host regional, state, and national NFL FLAG Football tournaments with roughly 50-70 teams participating. This will make Dothan the first city in the country to ever host an NFL FLAG tournament that doesn’t have an NFL team.

Inaugural Football Camp

Check out the video below from the inaugural Izell Reese Football Camp: