Honoring a Washington Commanders Legend
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Life or Legacy Tribute
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
To surprise Washington legend Darrell Green with the retirement of his jersey number, the Commanders invited him to their facility under the pretense of narrating a social media video for the NFL Draft. As Green read the teleprompter on camera, the words suddenly changed, revealing that his No. 28 was being retired. The final product, posted on the morning of the NFL Draft, began as a standard hype piece before pivoting mid-way to the emotional announcement, making for a memorable moment.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
It’s crucial for sports video producers, social media managers, and YouTube creators to think creatively, focus on emotional storytelling, and use surprise elements to engage viewers in a deeper way.
Moments like these go viral because they evoke real emotions and encourage people to share. Seeing an icon like Darrell Green moved to tears as he learned about his jersey retirement created a powerful moment that both die-hard fans and casual viewers wanted to pass along. Understanding the impact of these viral moments is key—raw, emotional content captures attention, spreads quickly, and strengthens the connection between athletes, fans, and the sport.
The video’s narrative structure also played a major role in keeping viewers engaged. It started as a draft hype video before taking a surprising turn, holding interest from beginning to end. In social media, audience retention is everything, and storytelling techniques that build anticipation help keep viewers invested throughout.
Objective
Since rebranding as the Commanders in 2022, Washington has made it a priority to honor its 90+ years of franchise history. One key way they do this is by retiring the jersey numbers of players who made a lasting impact on the team. Few, if any, are more deserving of that honor than the legendary Darrell Green—arguably the greatest player in franchise history—and whose jersey retirement had been long awaited by fans,
In the fall of 2023, the decision was made: Green’s iconic No. 28 would be retired during the 2024 season. With that, the Commanders’ content team—video producers, editors, social media staffers, and more—began brainstorming how to best reveal to the world that No. 28 would never be worn again in Washington. A player of Green’s caliber, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, two-time Super Bowl champion, and seven-time Pro Bowler over 20 seasons, deserved more than a ‘traditional’ jersey retirement announcement. The challenge was set—how to make the moment truly special.
Strategy & Execution
The mission was clear: how could the team best reveal to both Darrell Green and the fans that his long-awaited jersey retirement was finally happening?
NFL Draft week is one of the most exciting times of the offseason, and in 2024, anticipation was especially high for the Commanders, who held the No. 2 overall pick. The content team saw an opportunity to capitalize on that heightened fan interest, deciding to drop the news on the morning of Round 1—during the proverbial ‘calm before the storm’ leading up to draft night.
To set up the surprise, the team invited Darrell to narrate the Commanders’ annual NFL Draft hype video for social media. But as he read from the teleprompter, the script suddenly changed—revealing his own jersey retirement. Unlike typical teleprompter fake-outs, this one was meant for the fans, too. The video, themed around Green welcoming the newest Commanders draft class, took a heartfelt turn as his wife, children, and grandchildren entered the studio to celebrate No. 28.
Organizations
- The Washington Commanders
Featured
- Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Washington Legend Darrell Green
Credits
Nicholas Miller
Senior Manager of Content Production
Commanders
Kevin Kline
Director of Content Strategy
Commanders
Hannah Yanchulis
Social Media Manager
Commanders
Nolan Williams
Associate Producer
Commanders
Chase Martin
Video Producer & Editor
Commanders
Rebecca Sulzbach
Content Creation Coordinator
Commanders
Michaela Dowling
Senior Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy
Commanders
Tim Hightower
Senior Director of Alumni Relations
Commanders
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
