Team USA flag football QB Darrell Doucette tells NFL stars ahead of game: ‘Don’t underestimate us’

Flag football quarterback Darrell "Housh" Doucette III will soon be chased around the field by NFL pass rushers Von Miller and Myles Garrett. He will also have cornerback Jalen Ramsey shadowing one of his receivers.

It's the sort of opportunity Doucette's long thought about and will finally receive March 21 as part of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. This is a chance for Doucette and his USA flag football squad to line up against some of the NFL's biggest stars, past and present, in a "friendly" competition ahead of the sport making its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games. And that roster could very well include some NFL players.

Doucette's message to Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts and the rest of the star-studded lineup ahead of the event was succinct: "You guys better give 100% because we're going to give 100%," he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Don't underestimate us."

The event was originally slated to take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, only to be relocated to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on the heels of the Iran war.

There will be three teams, including Team USA, and they will square off in a round-robin tournament. The top two squads earn a spot in the championship game.

Brady and Hurts will serve as captains of the Founders FFC squad, which will be coached by Sean Payton. The other side, Wildcats FFC, is run by Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow with Kyle Shanahan as their coach. New Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh will be the defensive specialist for both sides.

Leading into the event, the captains will draft a 12-player team from an extensive list that includes Ashton Jeanty, Alvin Kamara, Davante Adams, DeVonta Smith, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs, Luke Kuechly, Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Derwin James Jr., Kyle Juszczyk, Tyrann Mathieu and Jalen Ramsey.

This is in addition to the players already announced: Rob Gronkowski, Saquon Barkley, Burrow, Hurts, Garrett and Odell Beckham Jr. In addition, there will also be athletes/entertainers such as IShowSpeed, Logan Paul and Terence "Bud" Crawford.

"I'm fired up to see how these teams stack up," Brady said in a statement as the the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback makes his first official return to the huddle since his retirement from the NFL in 2023. "But I'm not coming back to the football field to lose. That's for damn sure."

That's how Doucette feels, too. This is a chance for Team USA, which has won six of the last seven IFAF world championship tournaments since 2010, to flash their skillset.

"We're grateful for the opportunity," the 36-year-old Doucette said. "We have a point to prove that this is our sport. This is our lane. We plan on showing that we are the best."

The format will be played under modified Olympic flag-football rules and on a field measuring 50-by-25 yards. There will be two 15-minute halves along with a running clock. It will be produced by Fanatics Studios and be broadcast on FOX Sports, FOX One and Tubi.

"They're going to show their talents against us and we're going to show what flag football is all about," Doucette said. "It's a different sport. It's a different game. We want to show fans how different it is."

As for the sight of Garrett and Miller trying to rip off his flag as he runs around the field?

"I'm grateful they don't have to tackle me," Doucette cracked. "But being on a field with all of these guys is pretty much a dream come true."