Leon Washington facts for kids
Washington at a Jan. 2010 pep rally in Times Square
|
|||||||||||||
| No. 29, 33, 26 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 29, 1982 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Florida State (2002–2005) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. (born August 29, 1982) is a former American football player. He played as a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Leon was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice and made two All-Pro teams. He also holds many kick return records for the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
Washington played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. The New York Jets picked him in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans.
Contents
Early Life & High School Football
Leon Washington grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He went to Andrew Jackson High School. There, he was an amazing athlete in many sports.
High School Football Star
In football, he played as a running back, cornerback, and wide receiver. In his last year, he ran for 2,437 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. He was also great at returning kicks and punts. He returned three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns.
On defense, he made 88 tackles and had three interceptions. After this great season, he was named "Mr. Florida" in football in 2002. He also won the Florida Times-Union Player of the Year award.
Top Recruit
Many experts thought he was one of the best players in the country. The Orlando Sentinel called him the No. 3 prospect in Florida. Alliance Sports named him the No. 7 prospect in the nation. He was also rated as the No. 1 cornerback in the country by Rivals100.com.
Leon chose to play for Florida State. He picked them over other big universities like Florida, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
College Football Career
Leon Washington earned a sports scholarship to Florida State University. He played for the Florida State Seminoles football team from 2002 to 2005.
Freshman Year (2002)
As a freshman, he switched from cornerback to running back. He played in all 14 games. He ran for 273 yards and caught six passes for 30 yards. He also led the team in total return yards.
He was the first freshman at FSU since 1997 to run for over 100 yards in a game. He returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Clemson. He also recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown against Duke.
Sophomore Year (2003)
In 2003, Leon played in nine games. He was the second-leading rusher with 387 yards. He missed four games after hurting his elbow in the first game.
He returned a punt for a touchdown against Wake Forest. This was the first time an FSU player did that since 2000. He ran for a season-high 121 yards against NC State. He scored the winning touchdown in overtime against NC State. This helped the Seminoles win their 11th ACC Championship.
Junior Year (2004)
In 2004, Leon was named the Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player. He ran for a career-high 195 yards in the win over West Virginia. His 16.3 yards per rush was an FSU record for a single game.
He earned All-ACC second-team honors. He led the ACC in rushing yards per game with 95.1. He also led the team with 951 total yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He ranked second nationally in average yards per carry.
Senior Year (2005)
In his final year, 2005, Leon played in 11 games. He missed two games due to an ankle injury. He became the only player in the Bobby Bowden era to score touchdowns in five different ways. These were by running, catching, punt return, kickoff return, and fumble recovery.
He was second on the team in rushing yards with 430. He became the 10th player in FSU history to reach 2,041 career rushing yards. He had a season-high 179 all-purpose yards against Wake Forest. Leon played in 43 games during his FSU career.
Professional Football Career
Leon Washington was picked by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the 117th player chosen overall.
New York Jets (2006–2009)
In his second preseason game, Leon returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. His role in the offense grew as the season went on. In Week 3, he had a 47-yard catch. Two weeks later, he ran for 101 yards against Jacksonville.
On October 22, he ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit. This helped the Jets win 31–24. On Christmas night, he had 108 receiving yards against Miami. He had a 64-yard catch that set up the winning field goal.
He helped the Jets make the playoffs in 2006. He scored a touchdown run in the final game against the Oakland Raiders. He finished the 2006 season with 650 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In 2008, he returned a kick 92 yards for a touchdown against the New England Patriots. He gained 2,317 all-purpose yards in 2008. This was more than any other running back in the NFL.
In a game against the Buffalo Bills in 2008, Leon showed his smarts. A kickoff was going out of bounds. He touched the ball while standing out of bounds. This meant the Jets got the ball at the 40-yard line, a big gain.
He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2008. His 92-yard touchdown was his fourth kick return touchdown. This set a new club record for the Jets. He led the league in all-purpose yards in 2008.
In 2009, Leon suffered a serious leg injury in Week 7. This ended his season. Before his injury, he had rushed for 331 yards. The Jets used a special play called "Seminole" with Leon at quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks (2010–2012)
In 2010, Leon Washington was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. He was given the number 33. On September 26, 2010, he set a Seahawks record. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers.
He returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 101-yard touchdown. Later, he ran 99 yards for his second kickoff touchdown. In 2011, Leon signed a four-year deal to stay with the Seahawks. He was released by the Seahawks in March 2013.
New England Patriots (2013)
On March 14, 2013, Leon signed with the New England Patriots. He was released on September 1, 2013, but then re-signed on September 7. He was released again on November 23, 2013.
Tennessee Titans (2013–2014)
On November 26, 2013, Leon Washington signed with the Tennessee Titans. He signed another one-year deal with the Titans in March 2014.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Leon Washington became a coach. On March 11, 2019, the Detroit Lions hired him. He worked as a coaching assistant for offense and special teams.
On February 10, 2021, the New York Jets hired him. He became an assistant special teams coach. His contract with the Jets ended after the 2023 season.
Football Records
Leon Washington holds several impressive records in the NFL and for his teams.
NFL Records
- Most kickoff return touchdowns in a single game: 2 (tied with 9 other players). He achieved this in 2010 against the San Diego Chargers.
New York Jets Records
- Most career kickoff return touchdowns: 4
- Most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season: 3 (in 2007)
- Most all-purpose yards in a single season: 2,337 (in 2008)
Seattle Seahawks Records
- Most career kickoff return touchdowns: 4
- Second longest kickoff return touchdown: 101 yards (in 2010 vs. San Diego Chargers)
- Most kickoff return touchdowns in a single game: 2 (in 2010)
Personal Life & Foundation
Leon Washington has a son who is the half-brother of former Alabama player Terrion Arnold. His son is also a promising football player.
Leon started a charity called the Leon Washington Foundation. Its goal is to help low-income families in Jacksonville, Florida. The foundation focuses on education, sports, and life skills.
The Foundation runs programs to inspire and educate young people. They want to help kids live stronger, healthier, and more successful lives. A big event each year is the Leon Washington Football Camp. This camp offers a free, one-day football clinic for kids. Current and former NFL players and local volunteers help run the camp.
