Darrell Green didn’t sweat when facing top-tier wide receivers for 20 years in the NFL. But in front of legions of fans before his jersey retirement on Sunday, the Washington Commanders’ Hall of Fame cornerback felt his heart rate speed up.
“The energy that I feel, the nervousness at this level, and it’s all because of you,” he told hundreds of fans during a pregame speech at Northwest Stadium. “You are my family.
The Ageless Wonder — one of the most storied players in franchise history — took the field during halftime in front of 60,000 adoring fans. They cheered his name, removed their caps and stood at attention as he walked a burgundy carpet, where team owner Josh Harris waited with the No. 28 jersey.
He raised his arms in celebration, taking in the moment. Spry as ever, his posture and stride never wavered, even as tears welled up in his eyes.
Anytime Green got choked up during his pregame or halftime speeches, the audience assuaged his worries. “Take your time,” they’d say.
After all, he waited a lifetime for this moment.
“It was a kid’s game,” Green told fans during the retirement ceremony. “I played it as such, and my results were good.”
That, typically, was an understatement.
For 20 seasons, Green patrolled Washington’s secondary. He made opposing quarterbacks pay with lightning speed and unparalleled consistency, recording an interception in an NFL record 19 consecutive seasons.
The accolades started to roll in after his playing career ended in 2002. The Hall of Fame came calling in 2008. The NFL’s 100th-anniversary team honored him in 2019. But he kept waiting for an honor to celebrate at home with his family.
After he hung up his cleats, Green said he had no relationship with the franchise he played his entire career with. There were no hard feelings, but former owner Dan Snyder had famously strained relationships with former players.
“We should’ve done this a long time ago,” Harris said before ordering workers to raise a flag displaying Green’s No. 28 above the stadium. He joins Washington legends Sonny Jurgensen, Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell and Sean Taylor.
Green used his time in the limelight on Sunday to thank others. Former teammates, coaches, even secretaries got a shoutout from the Hall of Famer — nobody was safe from the onslaught of gratitude. But after he thanked the fans one more time, it was time for Green’s peers to return the favor.
The video board overlooking the field displayed congratulations from more than a dozen former teammates, coaches and rivals. Coaches Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin and Joe Gibbs highlighted Green’s impact on the sport. Former cornerbacks Champ Bailey and DeAngelo Hall personally thanked him for his mentoring.
“You made me a better quarterback,” former quarterback Joe Theismann said. “I want to congratulate you on a great honor; you deserve it.”
Sunday’s jersey retirement, though years overdue, brought Green back to his football “family.”
“I can feel the love and feel the different appreciation. Also, I’m probably freer more; my perspective is different,” he told reporters, noting that the emotions of his final game and Hall of Fame induction were unique. “But this? This is my family. These are my people. This is our team.”
But the Hall of Famer wasn’t content to dwell on the past. He urged fans to support the Commanders of the present, directly addressing a lost generation of Washington football fans: those born after the team’s last Super Bowl in 1992.
“You didn’t get to drink the good wine. I’m sorry,” he told young fans. “But I challenge you all to become diehards. This is your generation.”
He echoed that statement during his official retirement ceremony, fighting back tears as he choked out the words: “Let’s go, Commanders.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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