Chiefs Safety Donald Washington Raises Awareness and Funds for Breast Cancer

Stebbins High teams up with Pros to tackle breast cancer

By Cornelius Frolik

March 29, 2011

RIVERSIDE — Two NFL safeties will team up with Stebbins High School on Thursday to tackle breast cancer by raising awareness of the disease and also money for an organization committed to finding a cure for it.

Philadelphia Eagles star safety Kurt Coleman and Kansas City Chiefs safety Donald Washington will be the guest speakers at the 7 p.m. event, and they will discuss their rise to fame and the challenges they faced as they ascended from high school to The Ohio State University to the pros.

But Coleman, who graduated from Northmont High School in 2006 and OSU last May, will also talk about his personal connection to breast cancer.

His father, Stebbins Assistant Principal Ron Coleman, was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in November 2006 after he discovered a suspicious lump in his chest. A month later, he underwent a successful mastectomy and tests since have shown the cancer is gone.

Ron Coleman said the event will stress the importance of early detection and knowing family history.

“Cancer isn’t a death sentence, you’ll get through it, there are other people out there and many avenues for support,” he said.

Ron Coleman is one of the rare male breast cancer survivors. About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer sometime in their lives, but only about 2,000 men were diagnosed with the disease in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society.

Ron Coleman said he hopes Thursday’s event raises a nice sum for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Red Cross to help relief efforts in Japan. There will also be a raffle featuring a variety of sports memorabilia.

Tickets for “An Evening with the Pros” are $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. The event will be hosted at the Stebbins High School auditorium, located at 1900 Harshman Road.

Donald Washington: Through the Roof

By Josh Looney

March 2, 2011

Despite a number of eye-popping combine performances, Donald Washington can still out-jump everyone

From Oregon State DT Stephen Paea’s record-setting 49 bench press reps to Nevada DE Dontay Moch’s 4.45 40-yard dash, this year’s NFL Combine wasn’t short of remarkable physical performances.

Despite the load of eye-popping results turned in over the last week, one of the event’s most impressive records remains intact. Donald Washington’s 45-inch vertical.

Opting to leave Ohio State as a junior, Washington put on a physical show before NFL scouts in February of 2009. He jumped through the roof that day in addition to posting an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. The same distance that Alabama WR Julio Jones jumped to set the football world abuzz Sunday afternoon, Washington’s broad jump was just one inch short of the combine record.

But the 45 inch vertical is the mark that still stands, 2.5 inches better than this year’s best performance turned in by Nevada TE Virgil Green.

To put Washington’s 45-inch vertical into perspective, take a look at the best jumps turned in at the NBA’s Pre-Draft Camp.

According the good folks at draftexpress.com, only one hoopster has topped Washington’s mark since the site started tracking results in 1989 – Kenny Gregory’s 45.5-inch jump in 2001. Coming in second, a full 1.5 inches below Washington (43.5, 2004) is NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson.

A Combine warrior, Washington also posted an impressive time of 6.84 in the three-cone drill and a 4.49 40-yard dash to round-out one of the Combine’s best overall performances in 2009.

Coming out of Ohio State a year early and regarded as a raw athlete, teams knew that Washington’s skills would need polishing before he’d become a regular contributor at the NFL level. Kansas City took a chance on Washington with the second pick in the fourth round, but would have to wait a little longer to get Washington fully entrenched into the system.

Due to Ohio State’s academic schedule set in quarters, Washington’s class schedule took him into June and NCAA/NFL rules prevented him from reporting for the majority OTAs. Development was delayed.

In his first two NFL seasons, Washington has played in 20 games (two starts) and posted 27 tackles. He also owns 13 career special teams stops.

It’s a bit early to get into spotlighting players who have a critical off-season ahead of them, but Washington certainly fits that mode. He’s served mostly a reserve role since joining the Chiefs, but is still just 24 years old and plays in multiple areas of the defensive backfield where the Chiefs are searching for depth.

Washington switched to safety last season after playing cornerback as a rookie.

The Chiefs placed an emphasis on developing in-house talent last off-season and, specifically, Head Coach Todd Haley keyed on players entering their third NFL season. After all was said and done, Kansas City’s third-year players played a critical role in the Chiefs re-claiming the AFC West title.

If the class of threes hadn’t performed the way they had in 2010, it would have been hard to imagine Kansas City still winning the division.

Here are the third-year players that finished the season on Kansas City’s 53-man active roster.

Running Backs (3): Jackie Battle, Jamaal Charles, Mike Cox

Offensive Linemen (2): Branden Albert, Barry Richardson

Defensive Linemen (2): Glenn Dorsey, Wallace Gilberry

Linebackers (1): Andy Studebaker

Defensive Backs (2): Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers

Specialists (1): Thomas Gafford

“The cupboard wasn’t bare when Todd and I arrived to Kansas City,” GM Scott Pioli said at the scouting combine. “There were some pretty good football players there.”

Both Haley and Pioli referenced three years as the barometer for evaluating a draft class. Next year brings a new group of threes that the Chiefs will count on for further development. In addition to Washington, that list includes players like Tyson Jackson, Jovan Belcher and Ryan Succop.

While Washington continues to work on his pro game, his record vertical lasts another year. It’s a jump that may stand for quite some time.

How Donald Washington Predicted Scott Pioli's 2010 Draft Behavior

By Matt Conner

May 3, 2010

If you step back from looking solely at this year's draft class and instead take in the two combined draft hauls under the new(er) Scott Pioli-helmed regime, you may find some consistencies that could have led us to predict a few of this year's draft picks. And certainly, none of us saw the second round choices coming this year (or even anything after that).

On the outside, the two draft classes look completely unique. Tyson Jackson was considered a reach by nearly everyone and it filled a draft need more than the traditional "best player available" approach. It was also a choice where finances of a top-three pick came into play. This year, it was the total oppposite for Eric Berry. Sure, safety was a need, but four (or more) other positions could make that same claim. Yet it was the ability to grab a potentially elite playmaker that earned Berry's name on the draft card, finances be damned.

Yet below the first-round picks, it was clear even last year that Pioli apparently loved a certain quality in his defensive backs: sheer athleticism. Eric Berry and Javier Arenas share the same trait that they excel with their athleticism. And that's exactly what was written about last year's cornerback, Donald Washington. The knock against Washington was his lack of experience and the questionable choice to leave school when his last year was one where he could excel out from under the shadow of fellow Ohio State corner Malcolm Jenkins.

But he still became a fourth round pick, albeit a raw one, for his incredible athleticism, including his 45-inch vertical leap at the Combine as well as his 11'3" broad jump -- the best of any draftees from the class of 2009. Combined with his quickness, Washington still holds a lot of promise as a cornerback in the NFL and should mix well with the new company from the class of 2010. And, after a couple draft classes, perhaps we're making some sense of how Pioli likes his defensive backs to measure up.

NC Sports Clients Washington, Hartline selected in NFL draft

Seven Buckeyes go in draft

April 27, 2009

By Doug Lesmerises

When USC drummed Ohio State, 35-3, last September, the game was like an NFL exhibition. Over the weekend in the NFL Draft, the Trojans beat the Buckeyes again, but no other school did.

With cornerback Donald Washington (Kansas City) and receiver Brian Hartline (Miami) selected in the fourth round Sunday and linebacker Marcus Freeman taken in the fifth round (Chicago), Ohio State finished with seven players taken in the seven-round draft, after Malcolm Jenkins and Chris "Beanie" Wells went in Saturday's first round and James Laurinaitis and Brian Robiskie went in the second.

That tied Oregon State and South Carolina for the second-most picks, behind the 11 the Trojans produced, including eight on the defensive side. No wonder Ohio State didn't score a touchdown in that game.

But the day ended without a selection for OSU offensive tackle Alex Boone, defensive tackle Nader Abdallah and quarterback Todd Boeckman. Boone, a Lakewood St. Edward grad, signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers shortly after the draft.

"It was a humbling experience, that's for sure," Boone said of watching the draft all day. He was projected as a high pick before his senior season at Ohio State, but saw his status affected by an arrest in California for public intoxication before the NFL Combine.

"I learned some lessons the hard way," Boone said. "But the 49ers called and were very interested and pushing for me, and right now it's the best fit for me."

Freeman was picked, but he also waited and went lower than many expected.

"You go through a mixture of emotions," Freeman said after he was the 17th linebacker selected and the 154th overall pick. "Once you get out of the first couple of rounds you go from excited to anxious to nervous to disappointed. But once it's over, it's over, and your emotions go out the window and you're relieved to be able to go and play."

Washington, pick No. 102, and Hartline, No. 108, had to be somewhat satisfied with their positions after they had turned heads at the NFL Combine, Washington with his vertical jump and athleticism and Hartline with his agility and quickness.

Kansas City coach Todd Haley said the Chiefs thought about moving up to get Washington in the third round and were happy he fell to them in the fourth. Washington was suspended for two games for violating OSU team rules last season, but Haley said the Chiefs put that to rest after meeting with Washington for a day-and-a-half and talking extensively with OSU coaches and agent Neil Cornrich before the draft.

"He's a very good athlete, I mean very good," Haley said at a news conference in Kansas City. "I think he's under the radar just a little bit because he didn't start full time last year."

Hartline is expected to work in as a slot receiver, though Miami selected one of those USC players, receiver Patrick Turner, ahead of him in the third round. Hartline should also be a special teamer with the Dolphins, telling reporters on a conference call that he liked "cracking heads" on kick coverage. He'll join fellow former Cleveland Glenville High and OSU receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in Miami, though he said his best NFL comparison is his OSU mentor, Cleveland St. Ignatius graduate Anthony Gonzalez of the Indianapolis Colts.

Considering both Washington and Hartline surprised some fans by turning pro as juniors, they at least didn't have to wait too long on the draft's second day.

"After I went to the combine I felt a lot better about my decision," Hartline said on a conference call. "It worked out. It's hard to justify what exactly made me decide to further my career [in the NFL], but Ohio State was great to me, and hopefully one day I can repay the favor."

NC Sports clients Washington, Hartline #1 in three events at NFL combine

March 15, 2009

*Here's great evidence for Ohio State to use to silence people who claim its football players don't have the speed and athleticism of SEC programs:

*Former OSU players Brian Hartline and Donald Washington won 43 percent (3 out of 7) of the events at the recent NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Hartline had the best 60-yard shuttle (10.92) of ANY athlete at the combine, while Washington recorded the best vertical jump (45 inches) and broad jump (11-3) of all combine participants.

*Hartline/Washington, part 2: Who's among those smiling the widest since Hartline and Washington put up their combine performances?

It's Junkyard favorite Neil Cornrich - head of NC Sports in Beachwood and the agent for both Hartline and Washington.

Few NFL prospects have seen their draft stock rise quicker than Hartline and Washington have over the past few weeks.

And that leaves Cornrich poised to maintain his tradition of having OSU clients rise in the NFL Draft during the final weeks leading to it.

In 2006 former Buckeyes defensive back and Cornrich client Donte Whitner went No. 8 overall to Buffalo - after most suggested he'd be a mid-Round One pick, at best.

In 2007, onetime OSU receiver and Cornrich client Ted Ginn Jr. went No. 9 overall to Miami - after some experts predicted he'd go late in Round One.

Ohio State teammates call Washington the best overall athlete on the team

Washington called it

February 25, 2009

From Tim May's Columbus Dispatch Blog

Donald Washington’s show during the final day of the NFL Combine was stunning, at least to everyone but him. He called it.

As he stood in the entryway to Ohio State’s Younkin Success Center back on a cold January day and unceremoniously announced his decision to forgo his senior season in favor of applying for the draft, the cornerback said he knew he was taking a big leap. But he said the cloud of doubt would disappear once he got the chance to show scouts what he was all about as an athlete.

Talk about a clear-blue sky today, his 45-inch vertical leap was astounding on Tuesday, by far the best of all 300 or so players who took part in the combine in Indianapolis. And his standing broad jump of 11 feet, 3 inches was equally impressive — anything over 10-6 is considered extraordinary.

For a defensive back especially, such numbers scream “Look at me.” That’s because their world is full of sudden starts, stops, change of direction and unanticipated leaps.

What’s too bad is these numbers from Washington might not have been such a surprise had he not gone on double-secret probation from the OSU football team last spring. There was talk that he was going to try to compete with the OSU track and field team, and that the running long jump was one event he had in mind. He had been a standout in track and field in high school at Franklin Central just outside Indianapolis. And when his OSU football teammates were asked who the best overall athlete on the team was, his named always came up first.

Now the secret is out. He will zoom up the draft charts because NFL defensive coaches love explosion.

Mel Kiper: OSU's Washington expected to go in top of draft

With the combine behind us, here's the latest intelligence on the biggest names

By Mel Kiper Jr.

February 26, 2009

One major college under-the-radar prospect is Ohio State's Donald Washington. He's what scouts look for both physically and athletically, plus he played at a first-round level during several games in college. I can't believe a player with Washington's potential would be picked later than the second round, and don't be shocked if some team pulls the trigger during the latter stages of Round 1.

NFL Scouting Combine: Washington Dazzles, Hartline Too

By Mary Kay Cabot

February 25, 2009

Washington dazzles: Another Ohio State cornerback, Donald Washington, helped himself considerably. Washington, who came out early, topped everyone with a 45-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 11 feet, three inches. He beat Connecticut cornerback Darius Butler by two inches in the vertical jump and one inch in the broad jump. Both marks are near the top of all-time Combine records.

Washington's showing didn't surprise James Laurinaitis.

"Donald is a freak," Laurinaitis said. "To me, Donald is a first-round talent that someone is going to pick up in later rounds, just because of some of the things he had to deal with since he's been here (two-game suspension for violating an unspecified team rule). Talent-wise, Donald is one of the best corners in the country. He's going to make some team and be a gem for somebody."

Hartline too: OSU receiver Brian Hartline, another junior eligible, was first among all players with a 10.92 clocking in the 60-yard shuttle. He was second in the three-cone drill in 6.62 seconds and fourth in the 20-yard shuttle in 4.12. That means Ohio State players won three of the seven Combine drills.