Darnell Washington

Not to be confused with Darnell Keith Washington.

Darnell Washington
refer to caption
Washington signing autographs during Steelers training camp in 2024
No. 80 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (2001-08-17) August 17, 2001 (age 23)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:264 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:Desert Pines (Las Vegas)
College:Georgia (2020–2022)
NFL draft:2023 / round: 3 / pick: 93
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2024
Receptions:25
Receiving yards:253
Receiving touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Darnell Ernest Washington (born August 17, 2001) is an American professional football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was a two-time CFP national champion while playing college football at Georgia, winning in 2021 and 2022.

Early life

Washington was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 17, 2001.[citation needed] He attended Desert Pines High School, where he played football and basketball.[1] During his time on the football team Desert Pines won back to back state championships in the years 2016–2017.[2] A five-star recruit in football, he committed to play college football at the University of Georgia.[3][4]

College career

As a true freshman at Georgia, Darnell recorded 166 yards on seven receptions.[5]

In Washington's second season he put up 145 yards on nine receptions and scored one touchdown. This touchdown was the first of Washington's career and it came in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama.[6] Washington's longest gain of the season came on a 32 yard reception against Florida. He appeared in seven games and missed time due to having to have surgery for a minor fracture in his foot.[7][8][9] In the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, Georgia defeated Alabama 33–18.[10]

During Washington's third season, he recorded 28 receptions for 454 yards and two touchdowns.[11] As a result, Washington was named to the Second-team All-SEC.[12] On January 12, 2023, Washington declared for the 2023 NFL draft.[11][13]

Statistics

Georgia Bulldogs
Season Games Receiving
GP Rec Yards Avg TD
2020 4 7 166 23.7 0
2021 8 10 154 15.4 1
2022 15 28 454 16.2 2
Career 27 45 774 17.2 3

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 6+5⁄8 in
(2.00 m) 		264 lb
(120 kg) 		34+3⁄8 in
(0.87 m) 		11 in
(0.28 m)		 4.64 s 1.57 s 2.67 s 4.08 s 31.0 in
(0.79 m)		 10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)		 21 reps
All values from NFL Combine[14][15]

Pittsburgh Steelers

2023

Washington was drafted 93rd overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and on May 12, 2023, he signed his rookie contract.[16] As a rookie, he appeared in all 17 games and made seven starts. He had seven receptions for 61 receiving yards.[17] During his tenure as a rookie, he was given the nickname "Mount Washington" due to his large frame and as a reference to the Pittsburgh landmark/neighborhood Mount Washington.[18]

2024

Washington during Steelers training camp in 2024

In his second season, Washington would score his first career touchdown on a five yard pass from Justin Fields to put the first points on the board in a 13-6 Steelers victory over the Denver Broncos.[19][20] After the touchdown reception, Washington celebrated by giving a salute. He would explain in a post-game interview the salute was for his brother, a member of the United States Marines.[21]

NFL career statistics

Year Team Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD
2023 PIT 17 7 7 61 8.7 12 0
2024 PIT 13 7 18 192 10.7 29 1
Career 30 14 25 253 10.1 29 1

References

  1. ^ Brewer, Ray (May 20, 2018). "Desert Pines' Darnell Washington 'shocked' by Alabama scholarship offer – High School Sports News –". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Orts, Jason (November 29, 2019). "Unbeaten Desert Pines cruising into state semifinals". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Daniels, Tim (January 2, 2020). "5-Star TE Recruit Darnell Washington Commits to Georgia over Alabama, More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Orts, Jason (January 3, 2020). "Desert Pines football star Darnell Washington signs with Georgia". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Hunte, Sydney (April 7, 2022). "Darnell Washington discusses first 2 years at Georgia, working back from injury to return to field". Saturday Down South. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Culpepper, Chuck; Hill, Glynn A. (December 4, 2021). "Alabama thrashes Georgia's vaunted defense to win SEC championship". Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Austin, Brooks (August 18, 2021). "SOURCE: Darnell Washington Undergoes Surgery". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Reno, Harrison (August 17, 2022). "Darnell Washington's NFL Draft is Stock Rising Upon Junior Season". Yardbarker. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Riker, John (April 7, 2022). "Georgia tight end Darnell Washington staying engaged despite leg injury". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Kantowski, Ron (January 15, 2022). "Ex-Desert Pines star Darnell Washington celebrates national title". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Morgan, James (January 12, 2023). "Georgia TE Darnell Washington makes NFL draft decision". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  12. ^ Kirby II, Christian (December 8, 2022). "Georgia Tight ends make SEC history". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  13. ^ Polacek, Scott (January 12, 2023). "Georgia's Darnell Washington Declares for 2023 NFL Draft After Winning National Title". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "Darnell Washington Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  15. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Darnell Washington College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Kozora, Alex (May 12, 2023). "Steelers Sign 3rd-Round Pick TE Darnell Washington To Four-Year Deal". SteelersDepot.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  17. ^ "Darnell Washington 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  18. ^ Graves, Will (May 13, 2023). "The new Mount Washington? Rookie tight end brings unusual size, skill set to Steelers". AP News. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  19. ^ Popejoy, Curt (September 15, 2024). "Watch Steelers TE Darnell Washington score his first NFL touchdown". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "Steelers 13-6 Broncos (Sep 15, 2024)".
  21. ^ Carney, Josh (September 16, 2024). "A New Mile High Salute: Darnell Washington Reveals Meaning Behind TD Celebration". Steelers Depot. Retrieved November 4, 2024.