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Darrell Green’s trip brought the Hall of Famer back to his football home

Darrell Green’s trip brought the Hall of Famer back to his football home

LANDOVER, Md. – Darrell Green took years away from the NFL organization where he spent his entire 20-year career.

“I honestly had no relationship with the team,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said.

That’s all changed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, ahead of Sunday’s ceremony where he was honored as the fifth player in franchise history to have his jersey retired. Green wants fans to return too.

It’s an easier sell for those lucky enough to get drunk on success, as Washington won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987 and 1991 under former coach Joe Gibbs and reached another in 1983 – Green’s rookie season. Those who chose later or were born into the Burgundy and Gold fan base have never experienced or smelled such heights. Green spoke directly to that faction during the pregame at Northwest Stadium before the Commanders’ commanding victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Green remarked, “You weren’t allowed to drink the good wine.”

It wasn’t just the fans who were dry for decades. Numerous alumni members were uninterested in remaining publicly associated with the once-proud Washington franchise during the on- and off-field embarrassments. Green and fellow Hall of Famer John Riggins were the most notable outliers. Green, the franchise leader in games played, claimed there was “no beef” and he was simply “going his own way.”

But the distance remained, even as he and his family maintained their local roots. Green and his wife of nearly 40 years, Jewell, raised their children near the team’s headquarters in Northern Virginia. The Green Family Foundation helps children in the greater Washington, DC area. Selected with the 28th and final first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of Division II Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), the 5-foot-8 defensive back became an associate AD at George Mason University in 2016.

The heat returned following the franchise sale last year to the Josh Harris-led ownership group. In April, commanders surprised Green with an honor that anyone familiar with his 20-year career knew was long overdue.

“I was grateful that this team went through all that,” Green said before Sunday’s home game against the Panthers, where his No. 28 was celebrated at halftime. “That means the world to me.”

Team officials asked the 64-year-old Green to visit their practice facility, ostensibly for a draft-related promotion. The franchise leader with 54 interceptions was only able to prevail when the secret was revealed: He would be the only Washington player with numbers alongside Sammy Baugh (33), Bobby Mitchell (49), Sonny Jurgensen (9) and Sean Taylor (21). retired.

“The National Football League said I was (one of the) top 100 (players of all time),” Green said The athlete in April. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the writers (selection committee) said I was a Hall of Famer. But that’s what my family says. The people I live with, work with and have been a part of say, ‘We want to honor you at the highest level.’”

The weekend celebration included a formal meeting on Saturday evening with over 200 alumni and members of the current ownership group. Sunday’s celebration included a halftime ceremony on the field, with much of the crowd wearing Green’s No. 28 jersey. Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien were in attendance, as was former Dallas Cowboys rival Tony Dorsett. Green told the crowd, “This is my family. These are my people. This is our team, our organization.”

Many of these faces have witnessed Green’s entire professional career. When he retired in 2002, the players on the current squad were children or babies. That’s why coach Dan Quinn took the time last week to fill his group in on Green’s exploits, such as setting the NFL record for most games played by a defensive lineman (295) and intercepting a pass in 19 consecutive ones Seasons. His 52-yard punt return touchdown in a playoff win against the Chicago Bears in the 1987 divisional round is one of his unforgettable exploits.

Quinn said the achievements were well received, as were the video highlights of the league’s recognized fastest player for much of his career.

“A lot of these guys, like a lot of people, don’t know this era of football,” Quinn said after the 40-7 win. “And to see that speed and that playing ability, it’s just remarkable.”

Williams, a member of the Washington front office, offered the players more details about the 1987 season, which he shared with Green. He and 50 former players took part in the team’s walk-through on Saturday.

“It’s important to know where you want to go and what’s possible here,” Quinn said. “Not many guys represent better than Darrell what can happen on and off the field.”

Green’s accomplishments and accolades, including being handed the key to the district by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Saturday, gave him “access” to effect change.

“You think about fame and recognition. I see access. I see influence. I see resources that I have in my hand, like Moses, who had a stick to drive the wolves away from his sheep. But God said, “Let’s use this.” This is what you have in your hand. And let’s do something great.’ All those things that I had in my hands – the fame, the speed, the speed, this, that – I used those things.”

Green used his deserved influence on Sunday to promote the 2024 squad. He named two headliners, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Green singled out another rookie, second-rounder and fellow undersized cornerback Mike Sainristil. “That’s my guy,” Green declared proudly. “Let us come together and be fans, supporters and family of the new generation of Washington Commanders.”

Then there was Dorsett, the ex-cowboys running back in the crowd and behind enemy lines. Many NFL fans got to know Green because of his speed and the game that connected him and Dorsett, who are now close friends.

To open the 1983 season, Washington played Dallas on “Monday Night Football.” Dorsett, one of the league’s all-time great running backs, broke free and ran down the sideline, but Green gave chase. Fans and others have since reminded the cornerback of his breakthrough moment. On Sunday, Green made it clear to the audience that the piece remains unforgettable thanks to Dorsett’s outstanding performance.

“Tony was a ballplayer. If I had caught one of you, no one would have said anything,” Green blurted.

The Washington legend is probably right about Dorsett’s influence on the play’s enduring importance. However, Green’s historic career shows that there would have been praise in any case.

For years, it seemed as if the franchise’s glory days were finally in the past. But Green no longer feels that way and wants the new generation of fans to experience the thrill of winning.

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(Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)