Did Team USA Flag Football Quarterback Darrell Doucette Play College Football?

Darrell Doucette, the quarterback of the U.S. national flag football team, couldn’t help but feel slighted by a hype video that circulated online shortly after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The clip featured NFL superstar Jalen Hurts, who was shown lighting a football on fire and tossing it into the torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, igniting the Olympic flame.

Afterward, Hurts turned to the camera and deadpanned, “It’s our turn,” as text appeared, reminding viewers that men’s and women’s flag football— a younger cousin to the tackle version Hurts excels in—would make its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.

For Doucette, the video seemed to signal that the spotlight on flag football was being overshadowed by the tackle football stars, even as he and other dedicated players have worked tirelessly to elevate the sport on the international stage.

“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are – they didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics,” Doucette said. “Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”

Doucette Believes He’s Better Than Patrick Mahomes

Doucette may not have made it to the NFL, but the 35-year-old New Orleans native firmly believes he’s a better player than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes—at least when it comes to flag football. Despite Mahomes’ three Super Bowl championships and MVP titles, Doucette feels confident in his abilities on the flag football field and does not intend to relinquish his spot at the top.

A few weeks before the opening ceremony in Paris, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appeared on the Pardon My Take podcast and imagined clinching flag football gold alongside his star NFL wide receiver friends, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.

“I really want to play for the Olympic flag football team,” Burrow said, echoing similar remarks from the MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes as well as receiving-yards leader Tyreek Hill. “I think it’d be really cool.”

Doucette admits that under different circumstances, he would be all for an all-star team led by Burrow. Like many in New Orleans, Doucette was thrilled to see Burrow, Jefferson, and Chase lead Louisiana State University to the college national championship in 2019. Doucette lives near the high school where Chase first made a name for himself on the football field.

Doucette Has Led Team USA Flag Football to New Heights

Despite his admiration for these NFL stars, Doucette remains confident that he—and players like him worldwide—can more than hold their own against the NFL’s best on the flag football field.

Doucette’s track record speaks for itself. Whether running the ball, passing it, or catching it, he was crucial in helping Team USA clinch the 2021 world championship in Jerusalem. The Americans defeated Mexico 44-41 in the final. It was the U.S.’s fourth consecutive world flag football title, and Doucette was instrumental in securing that victory.

Doucette has proven his prowess in flag football by leading the national team to a gold medal at the 2022 World Games, where he was named MVP. He followed that by guiding Team USA to a perfect 7-0 record and another MVP title at the Americas Continental Championship in 2023. For Doucette, no number of Super Bowl appearances could shake his confidence in the sport he dominates.

As flag football looks toward the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Doucette is determined to compete for his spot on the team. He believes in the strength and skill of dedicated flag football players like himself.

Did Doucette Play College Football?

Doucette’s journey to the national flag football team was anything but traditional. He sharpened his skills and developed a strong foundation of discipline and dedication through his participation in intramural and adult leagues at New Orleans’ Xavier University.

It was at Xavier where Doucette’s leadership abilities truly emerged. He led his teams to numerous championships, earning a reputation as both a formidable player and a dependable teammate.

Although Doucette didn’t pursue football at the collegiate or professional levels, he credits his experience at Xavier for shaping him into a “core” player. This foundation has positioned him to be a key figure in the professional men’s American Flag Football League division, which is tentatively set to launch in 2025 with teams in Dallas, Nashville, Boston, and Las Vegas.