Darrell Green, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is aiming to earn a place on the U.S. national flag football team at the age of 66.
Green, who last played in the National Football League in 2002 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame after a 20-year career with the Washington Commanders (then known as Washington), is taking part in national team tryouts this weekend in Chula Vista. He is seeking a spot on the 2026 U.S. team that will compete at the Flag Football World Championship scheduled for August in Germany. The U.S. men’s national flag football team has won six of the last seven world titles organized by the International Federation of American Football since 2010.
Callie Brownson, senior director of high-performance and national teams at USA Football, explained that Green reached this stage after posting “impressive” results in online testing. “He’s a rare athlete who has maintained excellent physical condition and is ready to compete this week,” Brownson told Associated Press.
Speaking about his ambitions, Green expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity. “There’s nothing better than stepping onto the field and competing for this country,” he said on the USA Football Instagram page. “And then, to top it off, standing on the podium and receiving a gold medal. I’ve done that in track and field in college and school; I’ve played in Super Bowls, but this is the biggest one of all. Don’t feel sorry for me—don’t pity me. I’m an athlete just like everyone else, and I’ll do everything I can to walk away with my head held high, no matter the outcome.”
Before becoming an NFL cornerback—where he was named first-team All-Pro four times, selected to the Pro Bowl seven times, won two championships with Washington, and was included on the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team—Green was also a standout track and field athlete at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University–Kingsville), earning consecutive All-America honors in 1981 and 1982.
The Olympic movement advanced toward including flag football in the Olympic program when the executive board of the International Olympic Committee approved its addition to the schedule for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in October last year. In December 2025, the National Football League agreed to fund and launch a professional flag football league and to allow its players to participate in the Los Angeles Games under certain conditions.
Green’s attempt highlights ongoing efforts to expand flag football at both the national and international levels ahead of its debut at upcoming global sporting events.
