STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — St. Joseph by-the-Sea gave Vikings’ flag football player Eva Rotondi a celebratory send-off Thursday evening at the Huguenot school.
Rotondi is set to head out to San Francisco for the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5, where she will be honored as a 2026 NFL Flag Player of the Year presented by Toyota. NFL Honors is a prelude to Super Bowl 60 to be held Sunday, Feb. 8, also in Frisco.
Thursday’s in-school celebration was attended by her teammates and coaches, some fellow students and school officials as well as her family and friends.
Ava Rotondi, center, is joined by family and friends at Thursday’s in-school celebration for the 2026 NFL Player of the Year, who will pick up her award at the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Sea Athletics)Sea Athletics
“I really can’t put into words the meaning of winning this award; it’s so special and to be recognized for my play like this is probably the biggest type of award I will ever get,” the New Dorp resident recently told the Advance/SILive.com. “Ever since I’ve seen it being given out when I was in high school I knew I would love to just be in position to be considered for it. Winning it is crazy to me that I am recognized with all the girls that play flag. It’s a huge honor and I am very grateful.”
While Staten Island has been a hot bed for girls’ flag in recent years, the borough has also made a name for itself nationally. Rotondi, a talented two-way player, has been a huge part of that as a member of several THT flag championship teams all over the country. Other Island flag travel teams — like the Staten Island Giants — have also garned many national crowns.
In addition, Rotondi helped Sea win the annual Borough President’s Cup last season and the CHSAA city crown, which the Vikings will try to defend this spring.
She joins 2023 Player of the Year and Staten Island Tech grad Allison Gandlin as Islanders who have garnered the coveted award.
CHSAA Championship Girls Flag Football Match between Moore Catholic and St. Joseph By-The-Sea, at Moore, in Graniteville, on Wed. May 15, 2024. Ava Rotundi (24). Sea captures the win with a score of 19-7. (Kara Buzga for Staten Island Advance).What is the NFL HonorsThe NFL Honors is an annual awards ceremony that recognizesoutstanding players, coaches, and moments from the past NFL season as well as standout youth performers.Event DetailsDate and Time: Feb. 5, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET.Location: Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Calif.Broadcast: The event will be aired live on NBC and the NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock, and also NFL+.