R. J. Washington

Infobox NCAA Athlete
color = LightSteelBlue
fontcolor = Black
name = R. J. Washington

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caption =
college = Oklahoma
conference = Big 12
sport = Football
jersey = 91
position = Defensive end
class = Freshman
major =
minor =
nickname =
career_start = 2008
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 242
nationality = flag|United States
birth_date = birth date and age|1989|3|14
birth_place = Fort Worth, Texas
death_date =
death_place =
highschool = Fossil Ridge HS
Keller, Texas
former_school(s)=
career_highlights =
awards =
honors =
records =
championships =
championship_list =
bowl_games =
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tournaments =
tournament_list =

R. J. Washington (born March 14, 1989) is an American football player. He currently plays defensive end for the Oklahoma Sooners.

High school career

Washington prepped at Fossil Ridge High School of Keller, a suburb of Ft. Worth, Texas, where he was coached by Hal Wasson and later Tony Baccarinni. As a sophomore in 2005, he broke the school record for quarterback sacks with 10 in his first year as a varsity starter, earning district 6-4A's sophomore of the year honors.cite news |first=Brandon |last=George |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Fossil Ridge a hot spot in '08 |url=http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/recruiting/stories/020807dnsporecruit2008.1ce7f30.html |work=Dallas Morning News |publisher= |date=2007-02-08 |accessdate= ]

During his junior year, Washington recorded 87 tackles, including 18 TFLs, and 10 sacks. He received all-district and all-state honors. As senior in 2007, made 84 tackles with 11 sacks and 36 quarterback pressures, finishing his career with school records in sacks per game and per career. Washington was rated the No. 1 defensive end nationally by "Rivals.com". He was named the 2008 Southwest Defensive Player of the year by "SuperPrep Magazine" and was elected to play in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College career

Washington had numerous offers from high major schools, including Texas, Texas A&M and Nebraska. He eventually committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, because of his grandparents, who live around 20 minutes outside of Norman, Oklahoma. [cite news |first=John |last=Talman |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Junior end commits to Oklahoma |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/recruiting/football/heartland/2006-11-28-heartland.htm |work=USA Today |publisher= |date=2006-11-28 |accessdate= ]

Personal

Washington's father, Russell, was an All-Southwest Conference linebacker/defensive end at Southern Methodist University from 1979 to 1982. Russell played on SMU's 1981 and 1982 teams during the "Pony Express" days of Eric Dickerson and Craig Jones. Russell played linebacker for the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits (1983) and Jacksonville Bulls (1984-85).

References

External links

* [http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/washington_rj00.html Official bio at SoonerSports.com]
*youtube|9imUP_fOvd0|Highlights of DE R.J. Washington, #14 on TAKKLE/SI's Top 100