JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Flag Football will officially be an Olympic sport as it is set to make its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
"Last time I was on the men's national team was in 2016-17, and there was already wind that it was going to be in the Olympics in 2028. So, now hearing that it is in there for sure, it's surreal and crazy," said former Team USA member Brian Traser.
With flag football ready to take the highest stage of international competition, former US national team member Brian Traser said the buy-in from USA Football has reached new heights.
"The way Team USA is built now is that they have all the athletes. They have the best players. They have great coaches. They have a whole system where you have to work out and eat right. So, every year, I get to see major improvements from like the jersey, to sponsors, to the amount of kids we have to go against," Traser added.
With nations already prepping for the 2028 Summer Olympics, NFL players like Tyreek Hill have been vocal about playing for Team USA.
"Honestly, we're welcoming them. We want them to bring it over and try to compete with us just to get the game bigger, just to see how we are with them. And, it'd be amazing to play with Tyreek Hill or any of them," said current Team USA member Laval Davis.
"I don't think that NFL could put a team together right now and walk out here and beat Team USA first try right now. I just don't see it happening, so they need to compete for the job. I don't think that they should just get it. It's not as easy as they think it will be," Traser commented.
"We know Team USA has the upper hand. But realistically, how competitive are other nations?" Traser questioned.
"International play, a lot of people are kind of fooled thinking oh, Team USA wins so easily, we must be able to do it too. That's not the case," Traser explained.
"The competition is actually really great. They do still play because a lot of people who come, they even play in the Canadian League, and they go to college over here too. So, the skill competition is really good still," Davis added.
Laval Davis and the US men's flag football team will now look to win gold at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland this August. This event is considered the top international tournament with more than 25 countries participating.