Darrell Green

Lore & Background

Green was born on February 15, 1960, in Houston, Texas, and attended Jesse H. Jones High School, where he was an All-State selection in track and an All-City pick in football. He was on the junior varsity football team his junior year and made the varsity team as a senior. He attended Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), playing football and running track, and finished his Bachelor of Science degree in general studies at St. Paul's College. In 1982, he was selected by his teammates as captain, named a first-team All-American, and was the Most Valuable Player in the Lone Star Conference. During his senior year, he had 56 tackles, four interceptions, and two punt returns for touchdowns. He was selected to the Lone Star Conference Team of the Decade for the 1980s. In track, he set numerous records and earned ten All-America certificates; his first meet was in 1982 in San Angelo, Texas, where he ran a 10.08 in the 100 meters, which still stands as the all-time best in the Lone Star Conference. At the 1982 NCAA championships, he finished sixth in the 100-meter dash and seventh in the 200-meter dash. His all-time collegiate bests were 10.08 in the 100, 20.50 in the 200, and 45.90 in the 400 meters. He was named most valuable track performer at the 1982 and 1983 Lone Star Conference Championships and won gold medals at the LSC meet in the 100 meters in 1981 and in the 100 and 200 meters in 1982 and 1983. He was named to the NCAA Division I All-America roster in 1981 and 1982, and to the NCAA Division II All-America team in five events in 1981 and 1982, and was NAIA All-America in 1981 and 1982 in four events.

Reader's Guide

Green was drafted 28th overall in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. In his first preseason game, he returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown. In his first regular season game, he ran down Tony Dorsett to prevent a touchdown. He started all 16 games as a rookie, finishing fourth on the team in tackles with 109 and leading in solo tackles with 79, and was runner-up for AP NFL Rookie of the Year. In the 1987 season, he registered a career-high three interceptions in a game against the Detroit Lions on November 15, 1987. In the postseason, he returned a punt 52 yards for a game-winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears despite tearing rib cartilage, and in the NFC Championship game knocked away a pass on fourth down at the goal line with 56 seconds left to secure a 17–10 win and a trip to Super Bowl XXII. In 1997, he returned an interception 83 yards for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, the longest return of his career. On December 13, 1997, he played in his 217th career game as a Redskin, breaking Monte Coleman's record. In a 1999 game against the Arizona Cardinals, he intercepted his 50th NFL pass against Jake Plummer at FedExField. In his last game on December 29, 2002, he returned a punt on a reverse from Champ Bailey for 35 yards, the longest gain for a player his age (42 years, 327 days). He retired after the 2002 season at age 42, the oldest Redskin, having played for six head coaches: Joe Gibbs, Richie Petitbon, Norv Turner, Terry Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, and Steve Spurrier. In 20 seasons, he recorded 54 interceptions for 621 yards and six touchdowns, plus two postseason interception return touchdowns. He had a career-best five interceptions in a season three times (1984, 1986, 1991). He also returned 51 punts for 611 yards, recovered 10 fumbles for 131 yards and two touchdowns, and missed only 25 games in his career. He missed two months after a broken arm on September 15, 1992. He is a four-time winner of the NFL's Fastest Man competition and the only undefeated multiple winner. He is rumored to have run a 4.09-second 40-yard dash in Washington's 1986 training camp. He started in Super Bowl XVIII (a loss), and in Super Bowls XXII and XXVI (wins), recording an interception in Super Bowl XXVI and a then-record 34-yard punt return in Super Bowl XVIII.

Did You Know?

• Green was selected by his teammates as captain in his senior year (1982 season), not 1983.
• He played 20 seasons for the same team, a feat matched at the time only by Jackie Slater.