Zero Teen Fatalities’ Player of the Month: Shadow Ridge High’s Jaylani Palmer

Shadow Ridge High School incoming senior Jaylani Palmer is one of the nation's top flag football performers. Photo by: Courtesy photo

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The NFL showcased this weekend’s NFL Flag Championships on its Instagram page, featuring a highlight reel from last year’s event.

The post spotlighted Jaylani Palmer with the caption, “Jaylani Palmer was a difference-maker on both sides of the ball,” and included her impressive single-game statistics: five receptions for 87 yards and three touchdowns, plus two interceptions on defense.

The post quickly gained attention, with the top comment reading, “She better than almost All the Chargers WR Room” — a playful jab that highlighted Palmer’s exceptional talent.

Palmer, a rising senior at Shadow Ridge High School in Las Vegas, is widely regarded as one of the nation’s elite flag football players. She’s heading to Canton, Ohio, along with other local standouts to compete in this year’s championships as part of the Raiders team.

“I was definitely surprised,” Palmer said of the post. “It made me realize how the NFL is helping put flag football more on the map.”

Palmer has been a dominant force for Shadow Ridge over the past three seasons, capping off her junior year with remarkable numbers: 112 receptions for 1,947 yards and 36 touchdowns across 23 games.

While Palmer’s initial success stemmed from her natural athleticism, she has evolved into a more complete player through her deepening understanding of the game.

Shadow Ridge coach Matt Nighswonger attributes Palmer’s development to her unwavering commitment to improvement.

“Despite being one of the best players in the country, she doesn’t slack off or take it easy in practice,” Nighswonger said. “She doesn’t want you to feed into her ego. She’s not looking to take it easy or coast through any rep.”

Palmer faces no shortage of competition in Las Vegas, where flag football has flourished like nowhere else in the country. The Clark County School District was among the first nationally to adopt the sport in 2012.

The program has been so successful that other cities have replicated Las Vegas’s model — featuring year-round competition, support and camps from the Raiders, and experienced coaching staffs.

When flag football makes its Olympic debut in 2028, Nighswonger says at least two Las Vegas residents could represent the United States. Jazlyn Camacho, a Green Valley graduate, and Briana Hernandez-Silva from Bonanza are both part of the national team pool.

“We are ahead of the pack,” Nighswonger said.

The opportunity to compete regularly is paramount for developing talent like Palmer’s.

She first fell in love with the sport as a child when she accompanied her father to one of his weekend games. Watching the long passes and touchdowns, and seeing the joy everyone shared on the field, she knew she wanted to be part of it.

At Shadow Ridge, she has found the perfect environment to flourish. Nighswonger, who serves as president of the local coaches’ association and is credited with helping elevate the sport to new heights, keeps his players competing in events year-round.

Shadow Ridge’s club team captured its division title at the Utah Summer Games just last month.

Now Palmer will return to championship competition in Canton, where Las Vegas’s entry — the Raiders — features talented players from various high schools across the valley.

“We already know each other from competing in high school,” she said. “It’s really awesome getting to join forces and compete with them.”