If you haven’t heard already, Washington measures in at 6 foot 7 and a half inches tall and 280 pounds. He’s almost as big as the offensive lineman he lines up next to. One thing’s for sure is that he plays almost as physically as they do in the blocking game. But that wasn’t always the case. 

In high school Washington shared that he didn’t block at all, and to be honest why would he? He’s basically the size of an NFL defensive end but was kind enough to spare the offense and lean into catching passes instead of wreaking havoc on the line of scrimmage. Don’t forget that Washington was playing against a decent amount of kids who would never see a college field, and you can easily grasp how he was rated a five-star coming out of high school. 

At the University of Georgia the term “five-star” is thrown around a lot. At some places where getting a “five-star” doesn’t happen often, things can get sticky real fast, but not at Georgia. 

Coach Smart has praised Washington for the progression he’s made in his maturity. It was evident talking to him that he’s bought into and believes in the importance of his role: blocking as well as pass catching. 

Since his freshman season, Washington has built a reputation for his ability to serve as a blocker. Teammate Zion Logue, a defensive lineman, even described him as “an extra offensive lineman.” But adjusting to blocking instead of catching passes mostly “for sure took some time” according to Washington. 

He hasn’t minded it though. The tight end giant explains that when he first set foot in Athens he wanted to be a “sponge” saying, “I just came here to learn a lot.” 

You can tell he cares a lot about that aspect of his game in the way he celebrates a successful assignment whether it’s blocking for a teammate or running a route to get someone else open. In the Oregon game you could see Washington get genuinely excited after McConkey scored a touchdown and that comradery really speaks to his selflessness. 

Darnell Washington truly is an athletic phenomenon. He can definitely be doing more for this offense, but he understands his role and knows it’s doing the team well. And that’s all he cares about: his team.