LISTEN | A Conversation with Former Player & Current Jets Assistant Coach Leon Washington (2/15)

be doing this. Oh. You know, ever since I started playing football, ever since I started playing football in chats, from part Warner to high school to college to the NFL, I always had the edge for it. So in the meeting rooms, you guys probably didn't see it because you know you were in there. But I was always trying to coach the young guys up, you know, trying to get back to the game. So for me, I always

had the che for it. And then, you know, having three boys and a little girl at home, you know, my had opportunity to really get myself prepared for coaching. So I have a six ten year old son, a twelve year old son, and a ten year old Son, So I'm always coaching. So for me, UM, I always had the is for it when to get back to the game in a way. And really, honestly, Eric, all I know is football, you know what I mean, So

I know the game. I grew up in Florida playing a game outside all the time, so for me, it was just natural to get back to the game in this way. But what led you to the jetson Upper today? Well, obviously I got into my internships. My first internship with the Jacksonville jack Walls, and I did one within Atlanta, and the previous two years before I got hired here,

I was in Detroit. UM. And then once I left Detroit, me and Robert Salt I had a relationship dating back um to our days with the Seattle Seahawks two thousand eleven and also with my internship in jacksonph two thousand sixteen. UM I worked with him as well. So UM, I just hit him up and asked him for opportunity and uh, you know, gaming interview and get my opportunity. What was solid liking both those stops in Seattle, Jacks so awesome. UM. You can feel his genuine presence, you know when you're

watching his meeting rooms with the linebackers during that time. Um, when he when he was a quality of control guy in Seattle, he was awesome. And then Jacksonpha. One thing that stuck out to me all the time that I remember was that, you know, we'll get in about five fifty five forty five and get in the weight room and work out and every single day. I expect him not to be there, but he was there every single day. So I know the work at that he'll put into this.

I know, um, the genuine care that he has for the players. The players really want to play for him. And I know how smart he is as a coach. He's really really detailed. Um with that. So, Um, with that being said, it was just natural fit for me to come and help him out. It was it cool that it was the Jets though, the team that Yeah, it was awesome. I mean that was definitely a part

of it. And uh, I remember he was recruiting me, um to come here, and we were talking and then um, the day before I committed, in a sense, he sent me in a video. Um the op did he something I'm coming, Oh, yeah, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home and that kind of steals the deal left for him out like I got to go back, I got to go back home. I love that, um solid. What was he like in the weight room? He said that you were an early rise for yourself. You're always

in there. Um, guys in very good shape. But how do you get after it? He's the beast. Know I always kept out look at them, like what is he doing over there? He's getting after it. I mean he's attacking. And it's the same way here. I mean he gets there early in the morning, gets his workout in, you know, before he gets into his office. So I'm watching him and you know, guy really takes care of his body,

understands that part of it. And you can see how that translates to the players because you have a coat that's activities. Take care of his body. He understands that part of it. So when he talks to the player, he can relate, you know, to the player like, hey, I take care of my body. You guys need to take care of your body. I understand that part of it. But you take care of your body big time as well. Man. How want you wear right now? You look like you're

read your rock and roll. Yeah, I'm about one sixty five one seventy. I'm having around that. When I played, my weight was like one D five you know what I mean. So I'm a good twenty five pounds down. Um, I feel great. Um five eight. I don't need to carry two and your pounds anymore, you know what I mean. I gotta be to keep up with my kids. But I feel great. You know. That's what's about nowadays, right

to care. Your body is staying in great shape. But did you say after your playing career was over that, hey, listen, I don't have to have that weight, you know, like I want to go down. Why I knew it when I was playing. I'm like, man, I'm carrying too much weight, you know what I mean. Obviously, you know you need to be in the physical shape to take the pounding in this league, especially at the running back position and

return the kids. But I always knew it because when you go to the doctor to give you the height weight chart and I'm looking at five eight and they're saying like one sixty five one seven, and I'm like, okay, at some point in to get down and this ain't health conscious? Want to be in better shaped? How would you describe your Jets career as a player coming in and all six, Uh, the main thing is that you want to win a super Bowl. Okay, So I didn't

complish that. So I would say in that in that sense, uh, you know, it wasn't great. I would say it was good. From an individual standpoint, some of the accolades I was able to accomplish, you know, like you know, my first year two dollar sis, making big places down the stretch, getting us into the playoffs, alright. Then my second year, um, first team All Pro kick returner, a third year Pro Bowl,

you know what I mean. So in that sense individually, um, you know, I appreciate that part of it, being able to help this organization. Now, but in the day, I'm a coaching now and I tell my kids this, I tell you know, other coaches, this is the only selfish thing I want as a coach, and I want to win a Super Bowl. Like it can sound selfish, but I just want to win a Super Bowl. Now. I know it's a process to do that, alright, but at the same time, I do want to win the Super Bowl.

Oh six, you came into the league and you got a new coach, new coach. That's right, And I think a lot of people are probably sleeping on the Jets, but you ended up in there as a wild carriage. Finished the season in New England. Right. Um, that draft class was awesome. Um me Niitman go to Britishaws, Ferguson, um Brad Smith, Eric Smith, Drew Coleman. Um, I think the linebacker from Ohio State. Um, I think, like, yes, like from Ohio State. I'm part missing one more guy.

I think I'm missing the detackle. But that was a really good draft class. And then you get Revis David Harris and that draft class. So but I vividly remember that first year. It was Christmas night. We're playing Miami right down in uh down in Miami. I believe it was Monday night football if I'm not correct. Pouring down rain fourth quarter, I catch a screen pass, you know, make some sick moves like you know what I mean, mad like a bunch of guys miss it gets the

field goal range. We keep the field goal. Win this. We played the Oakland Raiders. Um, we knew were favorite to beat those guys, beat the guys going to the playoffs. So in that sense, you know, um, that rookie year was special getting goose up goose bumps because I'm thinking about that game right now down Larre in Miami and the rain. No. I'm from Florida, so whenever I played

down in Miami, I played well. But you know, just some things, like I said, I have a children now, and so they kind of look at that like that you never had it. You were never good, you were never good players. So I can show the film. Now. Win Better is now live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement of win Las Vegas to online sports betting, getting on all your favorite teams, players and sports from boosted parlays to live in game odds on every major sport.

They have what you need to win. Sign up today to receive a special offer risk free five hundred dollar sports back. Download the wind Back app now, or visit w y and and bet dot com to start winning. Winn beat an official sports book and gave me partner up. The New York Jets offer something to change in terms of condition that win bet dot Com must be twenty one or older in the New Jersey. If you're someone you know has a gabling problem, veen one one seven.

How about oh, eight man, what a weird year. Five comes in, right, you guys are tearing it up. You go down the Tennessee they were, that's right, just the millge time. Looked like the team to beat in the NFL eight and three and then it kind of fell part. Yeah, that was that was extremely tough and well I remembered vividly about that. Is that okay? Like you said, we were tearing and went down to Tennessee. Um, they were tending to know, you know, kind of renting down their throat.

Had a really good game, um individually for myself down there. And then we're coming down the stretch, all right, and we go out to San France, right, and all we have to do is beat San France and we're in the playoffs. It regardless, I think that was the next to last game. Get to the fourth quarter. I think it's almost like I think it's the beginning of the fourth quarter from not mistaken right. They kicked the ball off to me, I run it back for a touchdown,

but they called it back. They called their freaking touchdown back. And you go look at the play. I don't think it's a holding guy hands is inside. I think it was James a head of bow on, Michael Robinson hands inside, pushing away, Mike rob flails anyway they called the back. I just it's always stick into my head because if they don't call that play back, we go to the playoffs and like that. Man, you know, we got bread farther. We get bread farther in the playoff. We already want

to super Bowl in Green Bay. We'll just get this guy into the playoffs. You know, history changes, so um, that really stits out to me. I think that touchdown getting called back, It's like one of my biggest disappointments in the league. Then on nine happens you get injured. Um, you got a new coach and Rex Ryan you're kind of watching that from afar. Two part would be how were you able to overcome the injury months and then

then enter the second phase of your career? All right? Correct? Yeah, coming to that year, I mean, we're freaking loaded and we're ready to go. Retch Ryan comes in here, kind of has a new philosophy with the organization, um brings in the new system, obviously really good on defense with the changeups, and obviously having guys like weavers David Harris. I mean Chris Jenkins. I mean, you could go down the list a bunch of those guys down there, um have we During the season, we go play the Oakland

Raiders and had a compound fracture. Um bone came through the skin and uh it. Obviously it was disappointing because I was in a contract year, you know what I mean. So it was obviously disappointing. But what gave me comfort in a sense, So what gave me hope is that when I got to the hospital, immediately went to surgery, came out of surgery dogs like, Okay, all right, you're great. You have no ankle, damnas, you have no need damnage. You just you know, you broke your tip in your fear,

you came through the skin. So the most important thing was that is that you know new infections means you rehab the right way to take care your body, take your cattle pills to your bone can heal up. And so as soon as I came out of the surgery the next day, I was on crutch and trying to move around, you know what I mean. And so for me, that's the resilience, um that my parents are still to me as a young kid, that you know, never give up.

And so from that point on, you know, I knew I didn't have an ankle knee damage, so I was just waiting for my bone hill. And so a month later I was out of the boot, you know what I'm saying. Two months later I was in on the treadmill. Three months later I was kind of walking and jogging. About four or five months later, I was moving around and running, and so UM the draft came around, got traded to Seattle, and when out there my first year, UM made made All Pro as a kick returner, ran

three back to the house. So you know, for me, it was just you know, going out there showing that resilience, being competitive, you know, knowing that hey, what the hell I'm gonna do about it now right, no complaining, just get out there and get it man. Amazing heart. And you know, people on the East Coast Jets fans for

routing you on. Everybody who was within your presence or watched you play, talking about people within the organization as the fans, they gravitated towards you because you were a special game, versatile player who left it out there on the field, and you connected with the dudes inside the locker room. Uh, that was awesome. How proud are you of being an NFL record holder in terms of kickoff

returns for touchdowns? Right? Um, it's special. And like I said, like everything, I kind of relate back to my kids because you know, they just don't see it in dad. Now. So we got YouTube. Now, we got YouTube and know so we got wikipediously you can read, you can beat up on it. And said, no, it's a special thing.

And I'm glad that the Jets organizations are part of that because I ran back forward with this organization and ran back forward with the seahous But um that year, my second year in the league, with just the Milion win down that first game against Baltimore. The next game we play against Miami. Um, and that ran one back you know, um that next game. So it's good that from the Jets organization standport it could be a part of that. And it's just special. I mean it's down

in the history books, you know what I mean. You have a favorite one of the eight, Um, I would say it's definitely with the Jets. I would say the one just the Patriots Thursday and Night Football in two thousand and eight. Um, we had that game Bread for beat out Matt Castle overtime, UM, yeah, over time, yeah, and overtime that game. Um. I think that one sticks

out morning anything goes big time game. Um, playing against UH division opponent, and so from that standpoint, like all of them, specially with that one sticks out, you're bringing intensity on the field. We're taping this down in Mobile, Alabama. You are You've been elevated in your role here this week, So can you talk about your role that that might be a little bit different than the regular season. Well, I think it's it's a great idea that seeing both

decided to do this. All right, a lot of assistant coaches kind of elevate, like you mentioned and move up to a different role. So I'm a special team assistant and so now I'm the head special team coach here. Yeah, special teams coordinate. And I would say it's been great getting opportunity to getting from the classroom getting Apple to the TCS guys um from some of the things that I learned from Brand. So I'm grateful for Brand for

giving the opportunity. I'm definitely grateful for Coach Solid giving me the opportunity to step in from the classroom to get to learn to teach and coach and control my own room. So it's been great. So if you want to be according this lead, you've got to be to

step into that role. So I look forward to going out there, breaking the intensity, bringing the juice, and we're out there making plays like like I told our guys and the Special Teams doing like we're gonna here to win this game and we want to make big plays just like we did this year. You're bringing the juice. Yeah, news, baby, that's what it is. I mean, that's what Special Teams is.

At the end of the day, I'm trying as a coach, I'm trying to give you, you know, all the twos to get you from point A to point B. But after that, it's juice, it's a it's intensity, it's all those things. That's a player that the players right now when they hit me speaking to the room, and when they hit me out there on the practice field, they can feel it. And all I'm trying to demonstrate that to do guys and go out there and do the

same thing. Oh, you're such a humble guy, but I think there was a moment out there where you came over to Tomlin or Tomlin came over to you and he said, up Lea on Washington. He said, I know who you are, right right, right right? I mean, you know that's just who I am. Like, I never assumed that anybody knows anything, So I just want to be

respectful in that situation. Obviously, I got a great deal of respect for Mike Tomlin, what he's done in that organization in Pittsburgh, being so consistent for fifteen years straight. I think, what when this season every year? Right? So, being so consistent. And I always watched him from Afar but never had a chance to meet him, so it was awesome to meet him in person. And um, I got a great deal of respect for coach Thomlins. How about you announcing Michael Carter. You were a fourth round

pick out of Florida State. Then you announced Michael Carter and the kid comes in, and I know you probably really appreciate his game because he's got it. He's got an old soul. I kind of think I think of you the way he approaches no question, because no question. I mean I was fired up when they had the opportunity to do that, and then obviously evaluate him in the pre draft process, and you know, and something the

ways he's similar to me. You know with the size coming in, you know, being about five eight two hundred pounds, Um can great load, can break, Um, you know, a bunch of tackles. He's smart, extremely smart. Like you can tell he was well coached in college. And um, he's just a gamer. I mean you can feel its intensity on the field. So you know we're heading the right direction. Were bringing guys like Michael Carter, so it was a privilege. I tell them all the time. We both fourth round picks.

You know we're gonna get it from the mud. How great of an opportunity is this for you guys as an organization. Last year was the start, start implementing the systems, people getting the feel. You've got system familiarity. Now this year you're gonna head into the aft where you have two top ten picks, four ton of you have four

picks in the top thirty eight. That's the third time this franchise has had four picks that early since nineteen seventy nine picks overall, and that draft class that included Michael Carter last year has a chance to be It's good. Right now, I got a chance to be special down a lot. Yeah, you know, I'm not general manager. You know, I'm not a scout, but the way you want to build your team, in my opinion, you really want to build it through the draft brick and then you know

young players that fix your system, fix your philosophy. And so being down here in the Super Bowl, I mean Super Bowl, being on the Senior Bowl, it's a great opportunity for us to evaluate these seniors in person. And Coach Solid talks about then all the time while he was out in San France. You know how they found Deebo sayings here, you know, finding players like that. So

that's where I we're down here. We get a chance to you know, really evaluate these guys character, you know, see if they fit into our locker room, see if they fit on our team, and hope we can find some gems down here. Yeah, no, out about it. Speaking to Jem's how about the jacket you were sporting another day, you were the Jets jacket on that nobody in this organization has I don't know that that special assets right there. That Yeah, it's not customer I think everyone has it.

But that's a sweet jacket. That moment song like Jack the sweet I mean with the Jets logo, you got the American flag on it, it's blacks and it's like but it's like a button off. But yeah, yeah, so it's so it's for me. Um you men as a player, when I played, you know, you really didn't appreciate, you know, warning the team gear at the time. But now I appreciate it more than ever. So I'm winning Jetz gear

all the time. And finally I wanted to hand it over to you and say, hey, what would you tell some fans who are watching you from Afar right now about not only what you're up to, but maybe what they mean to you. Jets fans are awesome. They meet everything, Like I stay active on Twitter, I stay active on social media, and they're always coming to Like, man, you were my favorite player back then. I still wear your jersey, even them upstairs in the coaching boof. I look at

in the crowd. I still a bunch of twenty nine jerseys Leon Washington. So I appreciate it so much. So, you know, guys hanging in with us, you know, it's a process. We're building this thing. But I promise you Coach Slid is going to lead us the right way and I'm gonna do whatever I can to bring this organization another Super Bowl. Appreciate you man, hope to do

this again. Real appreciated man. Thanks like went bet is not live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement of win Las Vegas to online sports betting, getting on all your favorite teams, players and sports from boostep partlays to live in game odds on every major sport. They have what you need to win. Sign up today to receive a special offer risk free one thousand dollar sports bat. Download the wind bat app now or visit w y

N and bet dot com to start winning. Wind Beat an official sports book and gave a partner of the New York Jets offers up to the change in terms of conditions at winbat dot com. Must be twenty one the older at President of New Jersey. If you're someone you know has a gambling problem called one seven zero seven one one seven