ASHBURN, Va. - The end is just the beginning for Darrell Green.
When the Washington Redskins cornerback is introduced as a starter before an adoring crowd today at FedEx Field, Green will be taking the first steps toward closing out his 20-year career as a Redskin and in the NFL.
But Green, 42, is far from sad or disgruntled about his impending transition to retired football player.
"I've spent the last couple weeks waking up and thinking about it in the middle of the night," Green said Friday in a round-table discussion with members of the Washington print media. "Thinking of the joy of the past, the excitement and exhilaration of the present, and the hope for the future. ... This is the ending that I wanted."
An interception today to extend his league record of an interception in 20 consecutive seasons and a win against the hated Dallas Cowboys in the 1 p.m. game also would be a welcome conclusion for a player who tied the NFL mark of 20 straight years with one franchise set by Jackie Slater of the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams.
"Hopefully, it'll be a memorable day for Darrell," said Redskins coach Steve Spurrier. "The best thing we can do for him is if all of us try to win the game on Sunday."
Green will walk away from the game with several club records, including games played (313), regular-season starts (258) and career interceptions (54).
He will be remembered for chasing down the Cowboys' Tony Dorsett in his first NFL game on Monday night on Sept. 5, 1983, and for returning a punt 52 yards for a touchdown in a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears in January 1988, despite pulling a rib muscle during the play.
Yet Green doesn't boast about his achievements. It's a sense of humility he developed when 27 teams passed over him in the first round of the 1983 draft with concerns about his college experience (playing at Texas A&I;) and his size (5 feet 9).
"I heard I was rated the No. 1 player coming to the NFL, but when they added to it A&I; and my size, nobody would pull the trigger on me," said Green, who was selected by Washington with the final pick (No. 28) of the first round. "So I was probably susceptible to that thought, too. 'They don't think I can play. Can I play?' "
Those questions were quickly answered when he was named to the Pro Bowl during his second season. Green would make six more trips, trailing Chris Hanburger (nine Pro Bowl appearances) and Charley Taylor (eight) for Pro Bowls by a Redskin.
But starting in the 2000 season when Washington made Deion Sanders and Champ Bailey the Nos. 1 and 2 cornerbacks, Green became a secondary option, used primarily as a fifth defensive back in passing situations.
This year, Green saw even fewer opportunities, as rookie Rashad Bauman, the team's third-round draft pick, moved ahead of Green on the depth chart.
The most jolting reminder of Green's diminished status came in the Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas, when he didn't play a down for the first time in his career.
Although Green acknowledges that defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis has an obligation to use his best package of players, Green harbors some pain over not being told of the demotion.
"The nickel spot belongs to Bauman, but [Lewis] never officially told me, even though I asked him a couple times," Green said. "It really hurt."
But Green, who tries to adhere to the biblical principle of avoiding the appearance of evil, said he has no regrets about his career or his plan to work with the educational foundation that bears his name, become more involved with his three children and improve his golf swing.
His only uncertainty is the emotions that will almost certainly well up inside when he is introduced for the last time as a Redskin.
"I would imagine that I'm going to have butterflies like I haven't had in eight to 10 years," Green said. "I anticipate it with a lot of joy. I want to feel that enthusiasm and anticipation. ... I'm going to be pretty hyped."
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Chad Hutchinson
The 25-year-old rookie quarterback has 99 fewer passing yards, one fewer touchdown, one fewer interception and 10 more sacks than former starter Quincy Carter. If Washington's sixth-ranked defense can halt the Cowboys' running game, it'll be interesting to see if Dallas' 31st-ranked passing attack can muster anything.
2. Make another run
When Washington rushes the ball more than it passes, the team is 4-1. Challenging the Cowboys' 14th-ranked run defense is a lot different than running over the Houston Texans, but significant gains by the duo of Kenny Watson and Ladell Betts will take a lot of pressure off rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey.
3. Road rut
Dallas is just 1-6 away from Texas Stadium this season and 14-41 since the Super Bowl campaign of 1995. The Cowboys are giving up an average of 325.9 yards a game on the road, and their offense has scored just six touchdowns during that stretch. A victory would ensure the Redskins their first winning record at home since 1999.
Redskins today
Matchup:Redskins (6-9) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-10)
Site:FedEx Field, Landover
Time:1 p.m.
TV/Radio:Chs. 45, 5/WNAV (1430 AM), WJFK (106.7 FM)
Line:Redskins by 7