Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green, 64, participated in trials for the U.S. men's flag football national team on October 25-27 in Chula Vista, California.[1][2]
Green hopes to earn an invitation to a training camp next month and a roster spot on the 2026 U.S. squad for the Flag Football World Championship in Amberg-Görlitz, Germany.[1][2][3]
Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.[4]
USA Football senior director of high performance and national teams Callie Brownson said Green qualified via the organization's digital combine and impressed staff despite his age relative to other participants.[1][2]
Brownson added: "He’s a rare athlete who has stayed in shape and is ready to compete this week."[1]
Green played his entire 20-year NFL career (1983-2002) with the Washington Redskins, whom he helped to victories in Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXVI. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls and earned four first-team All-Pro honors, while recording 54 interceptions, six returned for touchdowns.[5][6]
Green was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. The Washington Commanders retired his No. 28 jersey on October 20, 2024.[6][7]
The U.S. men's flag football team has won six of the seven World Championships contested since 2010.[1][2]
Approximately 100 athletes took part in the trials, including former WNBA player Loryn Goodwin and former Florida State basketball guard O'Mariah Gordon.[1][2]
Green said: "I’m going to give it my best and I’ll walk away with my head up, either way."[1][2]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Hall of Famer Darrell Green was one of a few NFL players who was able to compete...", October 25, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/hall-fame-cb-darrell-green-64-trying-out-us-flag-football-olympic-team
- NFL.com, "Hall of Famer Darrell Green, 64, participating in U.S. flag football Olympic trials", October 25, 2024, https://www.nfl.com/news/hall-of-famer-darrell-green-64-participating-in-u-s-flag-football-olympic-trials
- International Federation of American Football (IFAF), "2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championship awarded to Germany", April 12, 2024, https://www.ifaf.org/news/2024/04/ifaf-flag-football-world-championship-2026-germany/
- Olympics.com / IOC, "Flag football approved for LA28 Olympics", October 17, 2023, https://olympics.com/ioc/news/flag-football-approved-la28-olympics
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, "Darrell Green", accessed November 2024, https://www.profootballreference.com/players/G/GreeDa20.htm
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, "Darrell Green", accessed November 2024, https://www.profootballhof.com/players/darrell-green/
- Washington Commanders, "Darrell Green forever: Commanders retire No. 28 jersey", October 21, 2024, https://www.commanders.com/news/darrell-green-jersey-retirement
