Flag Football Star Has Message for NFL Players About '28 Olympics

One of the top flag football quarterbacks in America is hoping he and his constituents get their chance to represent the United States in the 2028 Olympics.

Flag football will debut at the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Last week, the NFL announced it would allow players to compete in the Olympics, with each participating country being able to choose one player per NFL roster.

Darrell “Housh” Doucette has been a flag football star for several years now. Last summer, he went viral for saying he was "better" in his sport than Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs would be if he made the switch. 

"At the end of the day, I feel like I'm better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game," Doucette said at the time. "I know right now he's the best in the league. I know he's more accurate. I know he has all these intangibles. But when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him."

In a new interview with the Washington Post, Doucette advocated for himself and his fellow full-time flag competitors, saying he hopes they get the chance to shine on the Olympic stage.

“The flag guys deserve their opportunity," the 5-foot-7, 140-pound signal caller told The Post's Adam Kilgore. "That’s all we want. We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it’s at, and then when the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side. I felt like I was the guy who could speak out for my peers, for my brothers that’s been working hard to get to this level, for us not to be forgotten.”

According to Doucette, America has enough talent to win gold in flag football even without incorporating NFL competitors.

“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” he argued. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”

The NFL still has some things to work out before players can participate in the Olympics, including salary cap and insurance particulars. Once all of that is done, it will be interesting to see how roster spots are ultimately disseminated.

The 2028 Olympics are scheduled for July 14-30.