With it being the first day of pads in Latrobe, the Pittsburgh Steelers held their famous backs on ‘backers drill. Possibly Alex Kozora’s favorite drill of training camp, skill position players, including running backs, fullbacks, and tight ends are called to block linebackers one-on-one with the rest of the group watching.
Rookie TE Darnell Washington was called into the drill and was specifically tasked with blocking OLB T.J. Watt, per HC Mike Tomlin’s request. Washington more than held his own, neutralizing Watt a couple times in the drill based on reports from camp. The media spoke to Washington at the conclusion of practice, asking him about his experience going against one of the best defensive players in football with the spotlight on him.
“I really like challenges,” Washington said after practice via video from Chris Adamski’s Twitter page. “I think I just embraced it and you just gotta face things head on. Ain’t no backing down. I mean, all eyes on you at that point. So, you just gotta go into things like that confident.”
The spotlight shined bright on Washington Tuesday, and he was up to the task. The former University of Georgia Bulldog has become well-acquainted with facing tough competition over the years, playing in the SEC Conference while also facing a plethora of talented Bulldogs on the defensive side of the ball daily in practice. Washington is also used to playing in high-pressure situations, having won back-to-back national championships at Georgia.
Washington isn’t one to back down from a challenge, even if it is one that would leave most other rookie tight ends having nightmares the night before thinking about. He was touted for his superb blocking ability in advance of the draft, and he demonstrated that today in Pittsburgh’s first padded practice, representing himself well against the best edge rusher in football.
There’s still a lot of training camp yet and Washington has yet to see his first snap in an NFL game, but today’s performance is a positive to hear that Washington is delivering on what the Steelers thought they were getting in the draft.
