If it’s meant to be, it will be. Robert Griffin III’s life is a testament to that. Back in the spring of 2008, he was a Baylor Bears star on the track, blazing his way to All-American honors with a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles and a Big 12 title, clocking a personal-best 49.22. Soon, the Olympics felt within reach. That summer, he lined up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and finished 11th. Close, but not quite there. And somewhere in that moment, the path shifted.

Griffin walked away from track and field in pursuit of something else entirely: football. But now that Flag Football is set to make its debut at the Olympic Games, Los Angeles 2028, Griffin’s way to the competition has been revived once again. At least, that’s what he wrote on X.

“Proud and honored to announce that I will be going for gold in flag football with the USA National Team in 2028,” he mentioned. “The journey starts now, and there is no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest and representing something more than yourself. USA! USA! USA!”

As Robert Griffin III confirmed, the former quarterback is now part of the Team USA flag football roster. With this move, he will work towards the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and will become the first player with NFL experience to formally announce a transition into flag football, making a return six years after his retirement.

Earlier, during the Fanatics flag football event, Griffin also tweeted that if NFL players want to pursue their Olympic dreams, they need to start their preparation now for playing this different iteration of the sport.

“Flag football and NFL football are different disciplines. If an NFL player wants to represent the USA at the Olympics in 2028, they need to entrench themselves in the flag football world over the next 2 years,” Griffin wrote.

It goes without saying that if there is anyone from the football world who understands the Olympic landscape well, it is Griffin. He has even trained alongside sprinter Justin Gatlin, who said about the football player in 2020:

“He didn’t look at himself as RGIII. He looked at himself as Robert. He was hungry, and he had another shot to get back out there. He is an Olympic-level talent. It didn’t take a lot to get him technically sound.”

With the 36-year-old eyeing a return through flag football, this opportunity allows Griffin to further elevate what appeared like a promising NFL career when he was drafted by the Washington second overall in the 2012 draft. As a rookie, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while adding 815 rushing yards and seven scores.

This electric debut season earned him a Pro Bowl nod and the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. However, his career took a nosedive after tearing his right ACL, LCL, and meniscus in the 2013 Wild Card playoff game. After the injury, Griffin was never the same. He appeared in just nine games in the 2014 season, starting seven. Post that, he made his way to Cleveland and then, Baltimore as a backup. 2020 was his last season in the league. He retired after that, but with flag football, Robert Griffin III will aim to succeed even more than he did as an NFL player.

However, he isn’t the only name with Olympic aspirations, as a fellow Heisman winner also expressed interest in representing the Red, White, and Blue two years later in LA.

Joe Burrow is ready for the LA Olympics in 2028

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is interested in playing for the US in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as flag football will be featured for the first time. At the Fanatics Flag Football Classic press conference, the 29-year-old spoke about this desire.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Olympics,” Burrow said ahead of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. “I’ve never necessarily played an Olympic sport before, so when this got announced, I was pretty excited about it. The opportunity to win a gold medal is something that I’ve thought about—a moment like that—for a long time, since I was a kid. I think it would be something very special.

“The opportunity to win a gold medal is something that I’ve thought about since I was a kid. I think it would be something very special.”

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In October 2023, the International Olympic Committee made a landmark call: flag football would officially be part of the LA28 Olympic program. The push, driven by the International Federation of American Football and backed by the NFL, wasn’t just about adding another sport to the list. It was about opening new global doors for football.

And now, Flag football is heading to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and NFL stars are taking notice. Robert Griffin III has already signed up, and Joe Burrow is also eager to join Team USA. As the Games approach, the sport is poised for astronomical growth, especially with stars leading the charge.