A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The NFL is clearing the way for its players to join Team USA's flag football squad for the 2028 Olympics here in Los Angeles. But if the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson decide to go for gold, they have to get past these guys first.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DARRELL DOUCETTE III: (Chanting) We're all we got.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) We're all we need.
DOUCETTE: (Chanting) We're all we got.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) We're all we need.
DOUCETTE: (Chanting) We're all we got.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) We're all we need. U-S-A.
MARTÍNEZ: That's the current men's flag football team hyping themselves up before winning their fifth consecutive world title in Finland last year, and the chant was led by quarterback Darrell Doucette III, better known as Housh, who joins me now. So Housh, all right - so, I mean, this move has been talked about for a while. How did you feel when it all came down this week?
DOUCETTE: This week, we were more so fighting for our spots to make the active 12. So it was kind of, like, in the back of our head because we need to make this 12 heading to Panama for continentals this year. But it's still exciting news that they would allow NFL players to come out, compete with us, and at the end of the day, go for gold that we all want to do together.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. And that's what you hope happens - right? - that they compete against you, you know, to find and field a squad, right? So if that happens, say, the NFL players had to compete against you guys for a chance to be on Team USA, what would be their biggest adjustment?
DOUCETTE: I think the adjustment will be the football field, so timing of routes, defenders covering. The game is not as physical, so that'll be another thing that the NFL guys will have to learn - and the hand-eye coordination of pulling flags. You have guys that work really hard at offensively of - it's pulling (ph) dip moves and hip moves, and, like, it's called - the dip move is like a duck walk. So guys will have to learn how to pull this 2-inch flag with guys running at them full speed.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. So, I mean, yeah, no contact, right? NFL players are used to, like, hitting people. And in this, in flag football, you can't do that.
DOUCETTE: Yeah, it's a no-contact sport. These guys trained all their life to be a physical specimen, and now you ask them to flip a switch within weeks and then go back to their normal likelihood later on.
MARTÍNEZ: Does it bother you that, like, every website possible has already lined up, like, dream teams like Patrick Mahomes, a quarterback, Justin Jefferson, a wide receiver, and they're almost, like, pretending like you guys don't even exist?
DOUCETTE: Yeah, it's like we're forgotten, but, I mean, it's understood because people are fans of those guys, and we just want our respect. At the same time, you have guys that compete at this at the - on a daily basis, you know, and been doing it for years. And then you have guys that play in the NFL, and that's what they've been doing for years. And, I mean, we all want to compete and win gold. So we just have to go out and compete and show why we belong.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, and the NFL is a big multibillion-dollar business that wants to expand its product around the world, right? So do you - does it almost feel like it's almost, like, a huge wave that you're going to have trouble maybe competing against?
DOUCETTE: No. We trust in our USA representatives to still, you know, give us the even opportunity to make the team. And we're excited for those guys to come out and compete and let the best man win, and we go out, you know, and win gold. That's what it's all about - representing our country and winning gold.
MARTÍNEZ: And you just want a chance, right? Can you imagine if you get that chance to play with NFL players? I mean, you've probably wanted to be an NFL player at some point, right?
DOUCETTE: I mean, at the beginning of my - when I was young, yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
DOUCETTE: Of course. And then as I became a grown adult, I just looked at flag football. I knew that was more of my lane. And I'm excited for Panama this upcoming 2025, and I'll worry about the Olympics at a later time.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Housh Doucette, quarterback for the U.S. men's national flag football team. Good luck, Housh.
DOUCETTE: Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE RUGGED NUGGETS' "RUGGED WALK") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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