Vikings' Jefferson - Playing flag football in Olympics 'a dream' - ESPN

EAGAN, Minn. — Flashing a wide smile, Justin Jefferson did a celebratory «Olympic Griddy» as he exited the podium at a news conference during the NFL's spring meeting Tuesday.

As a Global Flag Ambassador, the Minnesota Vikings' star wide receiver was instrumental in the league's Tuesday passage of a proposal that permits NFL players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The NFL's 32 owners voted to unanimously approve the proposal, league sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

«I'm just at a loss of words,» Jefferson said before he danced away. "… Just to think about the chances of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal is a dream, just reverting back to being a kid and watching the track and field meets, watching basketball win the gold medal.

«That's something that as a kid I always wanted to be a part of, but football wasn't global. So now that we're expanding the game and we're going more global, it's pretty cool.»

That expansion to a global platform is something that excited NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent.

«I think it's going to be phenomenal,» Vincent said. «I think the world finally has an opportunity to see the greatest athletes in the world participate, both men and women.… I think the membership vote today, allowing the young fellas to put their hand up and be that Dream Team that we all saw that I grew up watching in '92.

»Hey, I'm looking forward to seeing Justin play. He going to get his, we can't wait to smash."

A four-time Pro Bowler, Jefferson has recent experience playing flag football at the reimagined Pro Bowl Games. He said it gave NFL players a taste of what playing on an Olympic team together could be like.

«For them to change the