Robert Griffin III Seeks a New Challenge in Flag Football
The Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback, Robert Griffin III, is preparing for a new stage in his sporting career. He has been invited by USA Football to participate in two flag football training camps that will begin next month in Chula Vista, California.
Griffin is competing for a place on the U.S. flag football team that will participate in the world championships to be held in Germany later this summer. If his performance is outstanding, he could have the opportunity to be part of the team when this sport makes its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Griffin, who won the Heisman with Baylor in 2011, was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft by Washington. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year before suffering a serious knee injury in the playoffs. He played in 56 games in his career with Washington, Cleveland, and Baltimore, accumulating 9,271 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,809 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His last start in the NFL was on December 2, 2020, when the Ravens lost 19-14 against Pittsburgh. He left the game due to a hamstring injury and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve list.
Currently, Griffin works as a sports commentator on Fox Sports.
Griffin earned an official spot at training camp on Thursday, following a standout performance in the team’s tryouts held last week.
In total, 24 athletes were invited to the men’s training camp from April 16 to 19, including Griffin. One competitor who failed to qualify was 66-year-old Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who came out of retirement to try his luck at flag football. The women’s team also selected 24 players.
Another training camp will be held from May 21 to 24. After this, a committee of coaches, scouts, and USA Football staff will reduce the list to 18 players for a third camp in June. From there, the organization will select a roster of 12 athletes and alternates to participate in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championships in Düsseldorf, Germany, from August 13 to 16.
The current quarterback for the US team is Darrell “Hush” Doucette III, who demonstrated his talent last weekend when Team USA defeated a team full of NFL players at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles.
Doucette helped Team USA defeat Tom Brady’s Founders FFC team 43-16, after beating Joe Burrow’s Wildcats FFC team 39-16. Doucette and his teammates then beat the Founders in the championship game 24-14.
The national team was unstoppable on offense in three games. The team scored on every possession, except for a kneel-down to close out one of the victories.
