WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — When the Washington Commanders retire Darrell Green’s jersey Sunday, it will happen at Northwest Stadium in Prince Georges County.
But Saturday, Green will be honored in the city where he became a superstar: Washington, D.C.
“I love this city. I care about the people,” Green said Friday, standing in the same spot where Mayor Muriel Bowser will present Green with the key to the city in a public ceremony.
Bowser herself has fond memories of watching the famed cornerback over the course of his 20 years in D.C., saying he "exemplifies the spirit of Washington."
“I grew up with Darrell’s Washington football team in our heyday, when we were Super Bowl champions and when we just had great moments on the field,” Bowser said. “But my memories of Darrell were just how joyful he played the game. He knew he was good. He's humble, you know, as humble as a world class athlete can be. But my memories of him were that just that smile.”
Green said receiving the key to D.C. is the biggest honor of this life.
“This is a different context,” Green said when asked to compare it to his Hall of Fame induction. “This is not me catching the ball. This is me being a human, this is me being a man, a husband, a father, a neighbor, a friend. That's the way I see it and that's the way I'm accepting it.”
The honors for Green come as Bowser continues her push to bring the Commanders back to the place where Green became a legend: RFK Stadium.
“That's a no brainer. I don't know any other thing,” Green said. “This city and that team mean a lot together. I believe we are much better with what we had. Hopefully we can get it back.”
But after sailing through the House of Representatives, a bill giving D.C. long term control of the RFK site, allowing team owner Josh Harris to potentially build his new stadium there, has stalled in the Senate.
“I believe that when things are right, and we do things for the right reasons, the right thing will happen,” Bowser said when asked about concerns the bill might not pass. “I'm not in the Congress. But I never give up ... The lesson I learned in fighting for the Wizards and the Capitals is never give up.”
A critical hearing for the RFK Bill, originally scheduled for September, is now rescheduled for Nov. 19. That’s after the Presidential election, but just 9 days before Thanksgiving, so it remains unclear if that date will be changed.
But time is starting to run out on the RFK bill passing this session. If it doesn’t it would put D.C.’s pursuit of the Commanders right back to square one.