Adolphus Washington is undeniably talented. After a four-year career at Ohio State where he played defensive end and both interior line positions on a defense stacked with future NFL players, Washington was getting buzz as potential first-round draft pick.
Adolphus Washington isn’t going to let a past mistake color his NFL future
The former Ohio State DT has been candid about his recent off-field issues and is ready to move on and contribute in the NFL.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
His draft stock has fallen, however, after an off-field issue that earned the former Buckeye a suspension from the Fiesta Bowl following the 2015 season.
Washington was arrested in December for soliciting an undercover police officer after he answered a personal ad placed by the Columbus Police Department. He had a gun on him at the time of his arrest, though he had a permit to carry it. A misdemeanor solicitation charge was later dismissed after Washington completed a course about the harsh realities of prostitution.
Needless to say, in these weeks leading up to the draft, Washington has fielded a lot of questions from NFL teams about this incident. Washington knows he messed up, and decided all he can do is be honest about it and move on from it.
“My thing was just to tell the truth, no matter what,” Washington said. “And it’s not going as bad as I was afraid. It’s actually going very well, because I’ve always had a reputation of doing good, of doing the right thing and all those things, and honestly, it was just a mistake.”
He said he’s received support from those around him.
“I just want to shout out all the people who reached out to me during my off-field issue and kept me motivated and didn’t really talk down on me,” Washington said. “I just want to thank them and appreciate them for reaching out to me once again.”
On the other hand, like many draft prospects -- and especially those with off-field issues in their past -- Washington has had to deal with a lot of criticism on Twitter. He often retweets this commentary. It motivates him.
“I definitely use that as motivation,” Washington said. “I also look up what fans and critics say about other top defensive tackles in the draft.”
In an absolutely loaded defensive tackle class, SB Nation’s Dan Kadar ranks Washington as the 15th-best player at his position and the No. 88 overall prospect in the draft.
Washington says his draft stock is just fine
Washington pulled his hamstring during Ohio State’s pro day, and it kept him from being able to show scouts and GMs in attendance what he can do during position drills. He doesn’t believe it’s impacted his draft stock, though.
“I’ve worked out for the teams that came and worked me out and I did just fine,” Washington said.
His 5.17-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine was one of the slowest among defensive linemen, but he showed off his versatility and athleticism at Ohio State:
As a senior, he played as a three-technique. Ideally, he’ll fill that same role in a 4-3 defense at the next level, but he’s not opposed to other options.
“In my honest opinion, I think I’d be the best fit for a 4-3 defense, but I mean, I have no problems playing in a 3-4,” Washington said. “I have no problem at all with that.”
He loves food and is enjoying getting a taste of NFL life
At 6’3, 301 pounds, Washington is a big guy, and big guys need a lot of sustenance.
A quick glance at Washington’s Twitter account gives one an appreciation for just how much he loves food. So what’s he going to do when he gets drafted and ends up in a new city? Washington has a plan for finding the best food wherever he ends up after the draft. He’s going to ask the other big guys.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Washington said. “You just go to the offensive line and defensive line and find out.”
Even with the draft still on the horizon, players are getting a sense of the recognition and attention that comes with being a NFL player. Washington is relishing it.
“The most fun part about it is just enjoying the perks of becoming an NFL player,” Washington said. “A lot of the people around the city wherever you go recognize who you are. They congratulate you all the time about making it through college and having a chance to make it to the NFL.”
You can call him Diesel if you want to, though not many people do anymore.
When Washington arrived at Ohio State, he was known as “Diesel.” So how did he get that nickname?
“It actually came from my AAU coach,” Washington said. “I played AAU basketball, and everybody on the team had a nickname except for me, because I kind of joined the team late, and I just kind of felt like everybody had a nickname, and I didn’t, so I felt like I was kind of being left out.
“So I kind of suggested that name, and he said, ‘That’d work,” and that stuck from like fifth grade all throughout high school, and it kind of died down when I got to college. It’s still my nickname, but people don’t call me that.”
Washington says he doesn’t necessarily model his game after any player, but he does watch dominant defensive tackles for ideas on how to improve his play.
"There are guys that I watch that I try to do things they do or try to see the way that they do something, like what do they do against double teams, what are their pass rush moves, stuff like that," Washington said. "And those guys are like Geno Atkins, Gerald McCoy --€” who else? Aaron Donald -- that's just to name a few. But I watch most of them. Oh, I can't forget about Warren Sapp. That's probably the person that I watch the most."
Getting by with a little help from his friends
Washington is one of several former Ohio State players and NFL hopefuls who has remained in Columbus before the draft. The guys work out together and talk about their pre-draft experiences, and it’s made the whole process easier for everyone.
“You’re with guys that you’re comfortable with, guys that push you and motivate you,” Washington said. “So I feel that’s definitely a plus.”
In these weeks leading up to the draft, not knowing what to expect on draft day has been the most challenging aspect or Washington.
“The hardest part definitely has been trying to get feedback from where are you going to get drafted, like what round or whatever,” Washington said. “You really don’t get any feedback from the actual teams. You get it from the guys on ESPN or NFL Network, so you kind of have to go off that.”
It’s hard to project where Washington will end up in the draft. He’s probably a solid Day 2 prospect, but this is a deep draft for defensive tackle talent. Wherever he ends up, he wants to make it clear that he’s moved past his off-field issues and he is ready to contribute.
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