DENVER — The basic flag-football player requirements are as follows: Swiveling hips for elusive jukes. Quick burst. Elite pass catching, throwing or defensive prowess.
You know, pretty much those skills you see on display every week in NFL games. But it’s not all that will make a player a prime roster pick down the road when flag football make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
USA Football is taking a deep dive into just what skills and characteristics make an ideal flag-football player. The organization responsible for picking what’s sure to be a star-studded roster is leaving nothing to chance to bring home a gold medal. It’s always on the lookout for even more talent, no matter the level of football experience or even the sport.
Time is ticking, too, because three Super Bowls from now, the Olympics will be on deck. Skills specific to flag football need to be honed — should any NFL player want to give it a go — and chemistry built (it’s more nuanced than showing up for the Pro Bowl version).
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Because, “not every single athlete is going to understand the nuances of the game of flag,” said Charles Torwudzo, the head of player personnel at USA Football. “So that’s going to be a big portion of it, as well as understanding of the game, the football IQ.”
It’s easy to just assume NFL players will make up a bulk of the 10-player Olympic roster after the league voted in May to allow players to participate. But the NFL is still sorting out how to handle the logistics, especially since the Olympics fall in the middle of training camp.
David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, recently told The Associated Press that, “our players are like every other American citizen. So many of them would jump at the chance to represent their country.” He added they haven’t spoken directly to the league yet, “but we look forward to doing so.”
Just don’t overlook all those flag-football specialists. This is a men’s squad that’s won five straight International Federation of American Football world championships.
The metrics
USA Football relies on different data points to assess players at practices, camps and on game days. For instance, there’s KPI (key performance indicators), an internal evaluation that measures variables such as burst, quickness, hip transition and body control. The organization also relies on readouts from Catapult, a wearable device that monitors everything from heart rate to speed.
Although USA Football is always searching for more ways to crunch analytics, there’s one indicator that’s time-tested.
“How well they play,” Torwudzo said. “How well they can get open, catch the ball and make plays.”
The next flag-football breakout sensation could be on an NFL practice squad right now. Or already a Pro Bowler. Maybe it’s a recently retired player or someone playing in Canada. It might even be someone running track, playing rugby or lacrosse. Perhaps already on the U.S. flag football squad or in the flag-football system.
Like a lot of NFL players, Arizona Cardinals safety Joey Blount is intrigued by flag football being an Olympic sport. He has the inside scoop on that version of football thanks to his college teammate at Virginia, Sean Moore, who’s a receiver/rusher in the U.S. flag football pipeline.
Blount has what flag football covets most — flexibility. Sure, he’ a defensive back for Arizona, but he was a receiver and quarterback growing up.
“Football can take me to the Olympics?” Blount said. “I would love to do that.”
It’s not as simple as rolling out there and fastening on the flags. There are subtle differences to the game.
Namely, no contact. None, whatsoever.
If you’re that defensive back who likes to put a hand on a receiver, that’s a penalty. If you’re a receiver who has a powerful stiff-arm, that’s a penalty, too. The field is about half the size of a traditional field, with flag-pulling and dodging skills at a premium.
Coming over from tackle typically requires an adjustment period.
Tyler Davis has been all over the world playing football for different teams in numerous leagues with various acronyms. Since his college days at Missouri Valley College, Davis has taken snaps as a receiver/defensive back in the GFL (German Football League) and the CFL (Canadian Football League). He also had a brief stint in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Then, he discovered flag football while playing in a league with his brother. It led him here, to making Team USA. He and his teammates play in Panama this weekend at the IFAF Americas Continental Championship.
The 34-year-old Davis fully intends on trying to make the Olympic team for Los Angeles. He welcomes NFL players competing for a spot, too.
“The competition is the competition,” Davis said. “I don’t think there should be any naysayers or anything talked down upon as long as there’s the same process.”
NFL players & Olympics
Through the years, there have been numerous NFL players who’ve gone to the Olympics. Some even brought home medals. But it’s been in another sport such as track, bobsled or rugby. Names such as Jim Thorpe, Michael Carter, James Jett, Herschel Walker and Bob Hayes, who was the rare player that won an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
Finally, there’s a chance to go in a version of football.
“I’d love to earn a gold medal for my country,” Blount said. “That would be awesome.”
Talent from all over
Laval Davis is an example of how you can find talent in places away from the field. He was a track standout at Mississippi Valley State — home of Jerry Rice — winning several Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles, including the 400-meter outdoor championships in 2019.
He’s a pass-rusher extraordinaire, with a lightning burst to the QB. He’s also a reliable receiver. Davis started playing flag football six years ago and has been part of three world championship teams.
From time to time, Davis has crossed paths with NFL players and they always ask the same sort of questions: What’s flag football like? How tough is it to learn?
“I tell them all the times, ‘It’s really different,'” Davis said. “It’s still football, but it’s different types of movements and the schemes are different.”
The ideal player?
“Honestly, somebody who’s just willing to learn and do what they have to do to help their teammates and boost the team up,” Davis said. “As long as you can do what your number’s called to do, that’s all we really ask for.”
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