Earlier this week, NFL owners unanimously voted in favor of a proposal to allow players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics on Los Angeles. Currently, only one NFL player per team will be allowed to try out for each country, but it's an exciting development for some of the league's brightest stars.
It certainly is for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen. As soon as the proposal passed, Woolen was among the first Seahawks to express his desire to play.
"I think it's pretty cool because the game of football is growing and I just think that as a kid, being in the Olympics is something I always wanted to do," Woolen said, per the Seahawks' website. "Now the sport of football being able to be in there gives a lot of people the chance of fulfilling that dream of being in the Olympics.
"It's the first ever Olympics where you can play football. So, I would love to do it just because it's making history as well."
Woolen, 26, previously played wide receiver at UTSA before switching to cornerback, and that experience could make him an intriguing option for Team USA. Asked if he would play on both sides of the ball at the Olympics, Woolen said, "Oh yeah definitely If they called me to do it, I'll do it."
However, that one player per team rule could be his biggest obstacle. If he were to pick one player to represent the Seahawks, Woolen chose fellow cornerback and partner in crime Devon Witherspoon.
"Other than myself, I'd have to say Spoon," Woolen said. "I feel like it is hard because with flag football, I choose a lot of speed players."
With the Olympics still three years away, Woolen still has plenty of time to continue to make his case to Team USA.
