Marcel Reece talks Raiders QB competition and Team USA's path to LA28

The former Pro Bowl NFL fullback and team captain is now Senior Vice President of Football Strategy & Operations at USA Football, the national governing body behind Team USA flag football.

Speaking to DAZN News, Reece discussed everything from the Raiders' quarterback competition to the LA28-bound star he called "absolutely phenomenal."

Reece on the Raiders' QB competition: "The right person at the right time"

Ethan Miller / Staff

Las Vegas' plan at quarterback is well-documented: Kirk Cousins will start the year, and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is poised to take over somewhere along the line.

Having served in various executive roles for the Raiders following his playing career, Reece knows the value of having players pushing each other for a starting role, especially at the most important position on the field.

"When it comes to quarterback competitions, it has to start with the leadership," he told DAZN, courtesy of online sports betting at Bovada.

"You have to have complete transparency," he continued. "You're not giving out the secrets, but you're making sure everyone knows that there is a competition."

Reece believes that a mix of transparency and maturity is what makes competition work.

"There is no sabotage," he added. "It's really just, we're going to do everything that we can to make each other better, and then the right person at the right time is going to earn the spot."

And while Reece is no longer serving in a role for the Raiders, he's in lockstep with his former franchise on the new direction.

"Kirk Cousins is the right person at the right time. That doesn't necessarily mean he's just the better quarterback, if that makes sense. Fernando Mendoza will naturally take the reins and be the quarterback of the future."

From Raiders exec to USA Football: "A huge responsibility"

Ethan Miller / Staff

Since hanging up his cleats, Reece has pivoted from senior roles with the Raiders organisation to becoming Senior Vice President of Football Strategy & Operations for USA Football.

In his new position, he's responsible for shaping the strategy, vision and success of national team programmes, Olympic and high-performance pathways, talent pipeline, and USA Football's events portfolio.

Those familiar with the way Reece has approached every challenge in his career will be unsurprised to hear how seriously he takes his new role.

"It's a huge responsibility. It's something I take extremely seriously," he said.

While his new position would be a daunting task for many, Reece is revelling in the opportunity.

"A lot of people are excited about flag right now because of LA 28," he added. "We are having a fun time and working extremely hard in the lead-up to LA 28.

"All the planning, all the fundraising, and then you get to start building football teams. That's extremely fun for me."

Reece makes the case for flag football

Still a relatively new sport to some, Reece was keen to express what makes flag football so special.

"Just because it's a non-contact sport doesn't mean we can't be physical and play violent. That's something I've been trying to articulate and get our team to understand. I think they're starting to get that."

Proof of Reece's claim, were it needed, was delivered in emphatic fashion at the IFAF World Flag 2026 Championships - still available to watch on DAZN - where the men's team won gold, and the women's team picked up silver.

DeFodi Images / Contributor

Reece reflected on what makes Team USA so special.

"One of my mentors always told me it's not about having just the best 53-man roster, but having the right 53-man roster.

"It's not always about having the fastest guy or the tallest guy, but making sure that when we're compiling a team, we're looking at our full ten and saying, this is the best ten players we can put together."

Reece: "I'm never going to ask you to do something I can't do myself"

You don't have to dig deep to understand what makes Reece a natural-born leader. His Raiders teammates voted him captain five times, and he also served as the team's NFLPA representative.

"I only know one way," he said. "I have a leadership style that people tend to respect. I always say I'm never going to ask you to do something that I either can't do, or I'm not willing to do myself.

He was nominated to the Pro Bowl four times and received an All-Pro nod, but he rates his captaincy above any individual honour from his playing days.

"It was not the Pro Bowls or All-Pros or anything else. It's my peers voting me as their captain, to lead them, to be their voice. I take that extremely serious, and I don't take it for granted.

"That same leadership style is the same style I operate now as an executive for USA Football," he added.

What Reece says to expect from Team USA at LA28

Orlando Ramirez / Stringer

Reece isn't expecting an easy ride at LA28.

"When you get to the Olympics, it's only going to be six teams involved, and they're going to be the best six teams in the world," he said. "Every game is going to be close. Every game is going to be exciting."

He expects the same intensity we saw from Team USA at the IFAF World Games in Düsseldorf to carry over.

"You're going to see a team that is exciting, that plays together with a ton of passion and takes football seriously. We're going to put on the best display of flag football that you can imagine.

"You're going to see a composed, exciting, energetic, passionate Team USA football, Reece added. "Our athletes work extremely, extremely hard at their craft. We are led by some very, very good leaders on our men's side and our women's sides.

"I'm extremely, extremely proud to have those two locker rooms the way they are now and watching them continue to grow."

Pushed to single out the players to watch, Reece paused briefly before zeroing in on a handful of special individuals.

"If you look at our women's side, you're watching a young quarterback who is going to be very, very good in Akemi Higa, for a very, very long time. She is absolutely phenomenal, extremely impressive."

DeFodi Images / Contributor

He also reserved praise for a trio of stars in the men's side.

"I don't know if you've been introduced to [Darrell] Housh Doucette yet, but he does things... he and [Laderrick] Pablo [Smith] and TD [Tyler Davis].

"If you watch these teams, and really love football, there's no way you can't love our two locker rooms."

Reece, as adept at selling the sport as he is at leading the strategy behind it, makes a great case for why we should all be keeping tabs on one of the fastest-growing sports around.

And if he has anything to do with it, Team USA will take some beating at LA28.

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