Darrell Green, a cornerback who spent his entire 20-year NFL career with the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002, is participating in trials for the U.S. men's flag football national team in Chula Vista, California.[1][2]
Selected by the Redskins in the first round (28th overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M-Kingsville, Green recorded 54 career interceptions, including six returned for touchdowns. He was named to seven Pro Bowls, earned first-team All-Pro honors once in 1986 and won Super Bowls XXII and XXVI.[3][4]
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008, the 64-year-old Green qualified for the trials through USA Football's digital combine. USA Football senior director of high performance and national teams Callie Brownson said Green's testing results were impressive despite his age compared to other participants.[1]
Green hopes to secure an invitation to national team training camp next month and a roster spot on the 2026 U.S. squad for the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Bremen, Germany, scheduled for the summer.[1][5]
Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The U.S. men's team has won six of the last seven world championships since 2010.[1][6]
About 100 men and women are competing in the trials, including former WNBA player Loryn Goodwin and ex-Florida State guard O’Mariah Gordon.[1]
"I’m going to give it my best and I’ll walk away with my head up, either way," Green said.[1]
Sources
- Fox News, "Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green, 64, hopes to compete in flag football at LA Olympics", December 6, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/pro-football-hall-famer-darrell-green-64-hopes-compete-flag-football-la-olympics
- USA Football, Flag National Team Trials announcement (Instagram and site), December 2024, https://www.usafootball.com/
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, "Darrell Green", accessed December 2024, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GreeDa00.htm
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, "Darrell Green", accessed December 2024, https://www.profootballhof.com/players/darrell-green/
- IFAF, "2026 Flag World Championships Bremen, Germany", 2024, https://ifaf.org/event/2026-flag-football-world-championships/
- IFAF, Flag Football World Championships history, accessed December 2024, https://ifaf.org/flag/
