[5] In 1982, Green was selected by his teammates as captain,[6] was named a first-team All-American, and was the Most Valuable Player in the Lone Star Conference.

[6] In track and field, Green set numerous national and conference records and earned ten All-America certificates.

[7] During his first regular-season game, he made his first big play when he ran down running back Tony Dorsett of the Dallas Cowboys to prevent a touchdown.

One happened during a divisional playoff game against the Chicago Bears, where he returned a punt 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

[1] Green tore rib cartilage while vaulting over a tackler during the return, but he merely grabbed his side and kept running until he scored.

[1] Then in the 1987 NFC Championship game, on a pivotal fourth-down play at the Washington goal line with 56 seconds remaining, Green knocked away a pass intended for Minnesota's Darrin Nelson to secure a Redskins 17–10 victory that enabled the team to go to Super Bowl XXII.

[1] "Darrell signified perseverance and competitiveness,and he was an all around great guy at the same time.We were able to watch him for 20 years, and as faras I'm concerned he never failed us.

[8] During the game, he returned a punt on a reverse from Champ Bailey for 35 yards which is the longest gain of any kind for a player his age (42 years, 327 days).

[9] Green retired after the 2002 season at the age of 42, the oldest Redskin, having played for six head coaches: Joe Gibbs, Richie Petitbon, Norv Turner, Terry Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, and Steve Spurrier.

[12] Green is rumored to have the fastest recorded 40 yard dash time of 4.09, which he is said to have run in Washington's 1986 training camp.

He is a member of the National Football League 1990s All-Decade Team[7] as well as winning all four NFL Fastest Man competitions he participated in.

[5][6] His pre-game rituals included eating and sticking Tootsie Rolls in his sock claiming that the candy helped him run fast.

The Virginia Republicans wanted Green to enter into politics because of his longtime support for the community and dedication to Christianity.

[20] On April 26, 2013, Green announced that he had accepted a position as Special Assistant for Student–Athlete Development and Public Relations at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

[23] Green is currently an associate athletic director at George Mason University working with student-athletes to improve their well-being, and collaborating with the community.

He also started an online fitness company promoting increased physical activity through simply walking called WalkFitHealth Nation.

"[4][5][25] In addition, he served as a board member for the Baltimore-Washington 2012 Summer Olympics bid, NFL/NFLPA September 11 Relief Fund, and the Loudoun Education Foundation.

His fellow Hall of Fame classmates include former Redskins teammate Art Monk, and his former position coach Emmitt Thomas.