LANDOVER, Md. -- Darrell Green separated himself for years from the NFL organization where he spent his entire 20-year career.

"I truthfully did not have a relationship with the team," the two-time Super Bowl champion said.

That's now changed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, even before Sunday's ceremony that honored him as the fifth player to have his jersey retired in franchise history. Green wants the fans to return as well.

That's an easier sell for those fortunate enough to get drunk on success when Washington, under former coach Joe Gibbs, won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987 and 1991, and reached another in 1983 -- Green's rookie season. Those who later chose or were born into burgundy and gold fandom never experienced or sniffed such highs. Green spoke directly to that faction during pregame at Northwest Stadium before the Commanders' dominant win over the Carolina Panthers.

Green remarked, "You did not get to drink the good wine."

Fans weren't the only ones parched for decades. Numerous alumni members were uninterested in keeping public association with the once-proud Washington franchise during its on- and off-the-field embarrassments. Green and fellow Hall of Famer John Riggins were the most notable stay-aways. Green, the franchise leader in games played, claimed "no beef" existed and that he was simply "going his own way."

Yet distance remained, even as he and his family maintained local roots. Green and his wife of nearly 40 years, Jewell, raised their children near the team's Northern Virginia headquarters. The Green Family Foundation helps children in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The 5-foot-8 defender selected as the 28th and final first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of Division II Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) became an Associate AD at George Mason University in 2016.

Warmth returned following last year's franchise sale to the ownership group led by Josh Harris. In April, the Commanders surprised Green with an honor anyone familiar with his 20-year career knew was long overdue.

"I was grateful that this team went through all of that," Green said before Sunday's home game against the Panthers, where his No. 28 was celebrated at halftime. "This means the world to me."

Team officials asked Green, 64, to visit their practice facility ostensibly for a draft-related promotion. The franchise leader with 54 interceptions never caught on until the secret spilled: He would join Sammy Baugh (33), Bobby Mitchell (49), Sonny Jurgensen (9) and Sean Taylor (21) as the only Washington players with retired numbers.

"The National Football League said I was (one of the) greatest 100 (players of all time)," Green told The Athletic in April. "The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the writers (selection committee) said I was a Hall of Famer. But this is my family saying this. The people I live with, who I work with, that I was a part of, that's saying, 'We want to honor you at the highest level.'"

The weekend celebration included Saturday night's formal gathering with over 200 alumni and members of the current ownership group. Sunday's feting included a halftime ceremony on the field as swaths of the crowd wore Green's No. 28 jersey. Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien attended, as did former Dallas Cowboys rival Tony Dorsett. Green told the crowd, "This is my family. These are my people. This is our team, our organization."

Many of those faces witnessed Green's entire professional career. When he retired in 2002, players on the current roster were kids or babies. That's why coach Dan Quinn took time last week to enlighten his group about Green's exploits, like setting the NFL record for most games played by a defender (295) and intercepting a pass in 19 consecutive seasons. His 52-yard punt return touchdown in a playoff win against the Chicago Bears in the 1987 divisional round ranks high among his unforgettable heroics.

Quinn said the accomplishments resonated, as did video highlights of the acknowledged fastest player in the league for much of his career.

"Many of these guys, like a lot of things, don't know that era of football," Quinn said after the 40-7 victory. "And to see that speed and that playmaking ability, just remarkable."

Williams, a member of Washington's front office, offered the players more specifics about the 1987 season he shared with Green. He and 50 former players attended the team's Saturday walk-through.

"It's important to know where you want to go, to know what's been possible here," Quinn said. "Not many guys represent what can happen, on and off the field, more than Darrell."

Green's accomplishments and accolades, including being given the key to the District by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Saturday, gave him "access" to effect change.

"You think about fame and recognition. I see access. I see influence. I see resources that I have in my hand, like Moses, who had a stick to knock the wolves off of his sheep. But God said, 'Let's use that. That's what you have in your hand. And let's do something great.' All this stuff I've had in my hand -- the fame, the fast, the speed, the this, that -- I've used that stuff."

Green, on Sunday, used his earned influence to promote the 2024 squad. He cited two headliners, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Green highlighted another rookie, second-rounder and fellow undersized cornerback Mike Sainristil. "That's my guy," Green proudly declared. "Let's get together and let's be fans and supporters and family of the new generation of the Washington Commanders."

Then there was Dorsett, the ex-Cowboys running back seated in the crowd and behind enemy lines. Many NFL fans became familiar with Green because of his speed and the play that bonded him and Dorsett, who are now close friends.

Washington played Dallas on "Monday Night Football" to open the 1983 season. Dorsett, one of the league's top running backs of all time, broke free and raced down the sideline, only for Green to chase him down. Fans and others remind the cornerback of the breakout moment ever since. On Sunday, Green clarified to the crowd that the play remains memorable because of Dorsett's excellence.

"Tony was a baller. If I had caught any of you, nobody would have said anything," Green cracked.

The Washington legend is probably right about Dorsett's impact on the play's lingering importance. However, Green's historic career shows that praise would have occurred regardless.

For years, it seemed that the franchise's glory days were permanently in the past. But Green no longer feels that way, and he wants the new generation of fans to experience the buzz of winning.