Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green is trading his gold jacket for a shot at Olympic gold. The legendary Washington defensive back hasn't suited up for the NFL since 2002, but he's competing this weekend at national team trials in Chula Vista, California—testing whether his 20-year professional pedigree can translate to flag football at age 66.

Green qualified through USA Football's digital combine, impressing evaluators enough to earn an in-person look ahead of the 2026 world championships in Germany and the sport's 2028 Olympic debut in Los Angeles.

"Darrell qualified through our digital combine. He's later in his career than the other trials participants, but his testing results were impressive," said Callie Brownson, the senior director of high performance and national teams for USA Football. "Our coaches and staff felt he deserved a closer look. He's a rare athlete who has stayed in shape and is ready to compete this week."

Two Super Bowl Rings and 54 Career Interceptions

Green was among the most dominant defenders of his era—a lockdown cornerback known for blazing speed and ironclad coverage skills. A first-round pick in 1983, he helped Washington capture two Super Bowl titles and racked up 54 interceptions during the regular season and six more in the postseason, including a crucial pick of Jim Kelly in Super Bowl 26 when Washington downed Buffalo 37-24.

Now, at 66, Green faces long odds. The U.S. men's flag football squad dominates the sport, winning six of the last seven IFAF world championship tournaments since 2010.

"I'm going to give it my best, and I'll walk away with my head up, either way." — Darrell Green

Roughly 100 competitors—men and women—are vying for spots this weekend. The talent pool includes basketball standouts Loryn Goodwin, a 2018 WNBA second-round pick, and O'Mariah Gordon, an all-ACC guard for Florida State.

"The agility, creativity, hand-eye coordination and vertical leaping ability on the basketball court translates well to a flag football field," Brownson said. "Our pipeline continues to gain traction with athletes from many different backgrounds. We'll keep putting a lot of effort into exploring talent transfers as we build towards flag's Olympic debut at LA28."

Those selected will join holdovers from last year's squads to compete for roster spots on the 2026 U.S. national team. The squads will face off at the IFAF flag football championships in Düsseldorf, Germany from August 13-16.

"When you see a Hall of Famer, players with high-level tackle football backgrounds, former flag football gold medalists and elite athletes from other sports showing up to compete for a spot on this team, that tells you something," Brownson said. "It speaks to the legitimate level of excitement and interest high-performing athletes have in Olympic flag football. It's the deepest pool of athletes we've ever had at trials."

Elite NFL Players Square Off in LA

While Green competes in Chula Vista, Team USA faces an all-star roster of NFL talent Saturday at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles—held at BMO Stadium, which will host flag football events during the 2028 Olympics.

The matchup features Tom Brady (retired seven-time Super Bowl champion), Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, pass rushers Von Miller and Myles Garrett, and numerous others across three teams in a round-robin tournament format.

"We wanted this opportunity to be able to face these guys. Just show what flag football is truly about." — Darrell "Housh" Doucette III, U.S. Team Quarterback

Reporting by The Associated Press.