Off the Field with Marcus Washington

 

Marcus Washington

The past few years have been trying years for Marcus Washington of the Redskins. Washington, who is clearly one of the most energetic players on the team, had to deal with his fair share of adversity and injuries in the past two seasons. The Defensive leader continues to bounce back. Whatever the challenge is, he is always able to respond. In 2007, Washington was awarded the Ed Block Award for maintaining a high level of sportsmanship & professionalism on and off the field. And as we look ahead toward the 2008 season, this powerhouse on defense is looking forward to a new year full of endless possibilities. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with the Redskins linebacker and we discussed what he’s been up too during the off-season.

So what is a typical day like for you during the off season?

I usually watch a lot of TV (mainly Sports Center) and play PlayStation. Depending on what’s going on thru out my day; I may go fishing. I like to fish, so I do that toward the evening. I hang out with my family and friends a lot. If something good is playing at the movies, I may go check out a movie. I love to watch movies; if I’m not going to the movies, I’ll rent a couple of DVD’s and just kick it at the house. I don’t do anything too extravagant; I’m just a pretty laid back, chill guy.

During the off season, what is your typical work-out and diet regimen?                               

I’ve been training down in Pensacola, FL at the Andrews Institute. When I’m training, I normally get up early & go to Starbucks. I love Starbucks (laughing)…then I’ll go to the facility where they’ll have breakfast (an omelet & nuts) ready for me. Then I’ll go out on the field and do speed & agility work. After that, we’ll do conditioning, and Pre-Hab which is just stretching and taking care of my problem areas. I had surgery on my hip, so I’m doing a lot of hip flexibility, movements, and things like that. Finally, I’ll do about two hours of weight training. I normally finish up around 5pm. The next day, I’ll start that whole process all over again.

When do you start preparing for the Upcoming season? And how do you prepare your mind for Training Camp?

I don’t think you can ever prepare for training camp (laughing)…but with me, I usually try to watch all the games from the past year and try to keep a list of my problem areas as well as keep track of the good things I did in the past year. I focus on getting my weight down to the weight that I’m most comfortable playing at. Getting your mind right for training camp is pretty tough because it’s hard getting back into football shape.

Where do you spend most of your time during the off-season; In the DC area or Alabama?

During the off-season I spend a lot of my time in Alabama. This year, I got to spend a lot of time at home because I didn’t have any serious injuries that required surgery or rehab.  I try to go home during the off-season as much as I can because a lot of times you don’t really get to see your family quite as much during the season.

Aside from football, what does Marcus Washington do for fun?

I love music. I’m always downloading the latest songs and burning CDs. I can spend a couple hours doing that. I love to play PlayStation. I always have the latest version that’s out. I like to fish. My Pops and I go fishing a lot…and I like to do a little bit of traveling here and there. I try to get to the beach as much as I can. Even if I don’t get in the water, just being around the water is very relaxing to me. I also like to play pool in my spare time.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done during your break? (trips, charity work, etc.)

I went to Puerto Rico during the off-season and that was pretty neat. The water was so clear and blue; it was beautiful. I got to visit a few casinos even though I am not really a big gambler. It was just fun to watch everyone else. As for charity work, I donate to the Boys and Girls Club in the Lee County area of Alabama.  Every year I host a basketball game and have a few of my friends from different teams come out. It has a big impact on the kids. Most of the time, they use the money for field trips to get the kids out of the neighborhood. They do things like take them to the Aquarium & the Zoo.

Speaking of charity work, do you have a foundation?

No, I don’t have a foundation. I just like giving back by donating to a good cause. Anytime you can donate, I think it is a good thing.

You’ve been playing professional football now for 8 years; at what point in an athlete’s career should they start thinking about life after their respective sport?

Well in football the average career really isn’t that long. So you really need to start thinking about it as soon as you start playing. You want to definitely start putting money away so that you won’t have to work as hard when you’re done playing. In this profession, you have to start thinking ahead as soon as you enter the league. The average career is so short; you definitely want to be prepared.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I don’t know. I just try to take it one year at a time. I know that when I finish playing, I don’t want to do a whole lot; I’m really interested in History. I don’t know if I’ll ever teach it but I think it would be fun to join a History Club or something like that and expand my knowledge a little more. Maybe I’ll coach on the high school level, but not on the collegiate or pro level.

Do you hang out with any of your teammates during the off-season? And if so, who?

Yeah…I hang out with Ladell Betts, Fred Smoot, Demetric Evans and some of those guys. I normally hang out with the guys that crack jokes all the time because I like to laugh a lot. So most of the time, I hang out with the silly guys and spend time with them.

What type of things do you all do?  

We go out to clubs, go out to eat, or we’ll just go to someone’s house and just kick it. A lot of times it’s about building that camaraderie and just being able to spend time with each other off the field because as we saw in this past year with loosing Sean, you just never know when it’s going to be your last time seeing someone. So you definitely want to take advantage of the time you guys have and create good memories.

Speaking of the late Sean Taylor, how is the team coping with his lost and moving forward from this point on?

The guys are coping with it pretty well. Of course we’ll always remember him, whether it’s passing his locker or watching film from last year’s games. We’re constantly reminded of him, but that’s a good thing. We definitely hold on to those good memories. I think everybody can take something away from that, you really want to take advantage of the time you have with your friends, family, and teammates because you just never know when it’s going to be your last time.

Do you keep in touch with his family?

I haven’t really kept in touch with his family but I know some of the guys speak with his dad a lot. Clinton and Santana know his father really well because they all went to Miami together. They tend to keep in touch with him more than the rest of the guys.

Last year was a very disappointing year for the Redskins. What can we expect from the Redskins in 2008, and what do you think you guys can do this year to make the team better?

Last year was last year, and everything we get this year we’re going to have to earn as we start over. It will be nice to start off winning games early this year. We need to play on the same type of level we played last year during the last four games of the season. We’re going to have to really work for it this year. We have to learn from the mistakes that we made and improve on those things. We have to give it everything we got this year.

What are your thoughts of Coach Zorn thus far?

I like Coach a lot. He’s not really a screamer; he’s very calm and mellow. He has sort of a quiet confidence about himself, and I like that. It kind of makes us more confident. He does things in such a way where he doesn’t have to curse or scream, you can just look in his eyes when he’s talking about the game and see how excited he is about football. As a football player, I can tell that he really loves the game and he knows what he’s talking about.

Do any of the rookies stand out in your opinion?

As a matter of fact Curtiss Gatewood, who’s a rookie in the linebacker position, stands out to me. He’s a kid that kind of reminds me of myself when I first came into the NFL. He’s a guy who went from a Defensive End to a Linebacker and he goes full speed in everything. You definitely don’t have to slow him down and that’s a really good thing for a rookie. Justin Tyron is also doing very well; he has a little swagger about himself. We definitely need that at Defensive Back. I can tell he’s a competitor; he’ll compete. Not a real big kid, but very feisty.

Have you taken any of the rookies under your wing? And what advice have you given to the younger guys?

I talked to Gatewood a little bit. I try not to talk to them too much because I don’t want to over coach a guy. You kind of just want them to use what God gave them. To be a success in the NFL you only get out of it what you put into it. When you first get into the league, as a young guy you want to party and do all the things that don’t pertain to football off the field, but that time you spend in the film room watching tape, the time you spend asking your coaches questions, the time you spend conditioning, and eating right; that’s what’s going to show up on the field. And that’s exactly what I tell them.

People have so many nice things to say about your character; with so many players being caught up in the hype & getting into trouble these days, how do you stay grounded?

I don’t take myself too seriously. I think that is one of the main things…I try to lead by example. It’s easy to talk about stuff, but it’s hard to be a Doer. I try to go hard when I play, work hard in the weight room etc. Don’t just talk about it; be about it. That’s my motto and that’s how I try to live my life. The younger guys tend to listen more when they can see your actions. They’re not going to listen to the guy who’s just talking but not going hard in the weight room or working hard in practice giving it everything he got. It’s all about setting an example thru your actions.

And Finally, How do you plan on spending the remainder of your time off?

I’m going to continue to work out; training camp is right around the corner. I may try to take one more vacation before we start up. We’re one of the teams reporting to training camp early this year; so I’ll just continue to get ready, continue to train, and continue to work out hard and get my body in the best possible shape I can. I’ll probably do something with my family right before camp starts so that I can be ready to hit it full speed.  And that’s about it. 

Osi Umenyiora Host 2nd Annual “Strike 4 A Cure” Celebrity Weekend in Atlanta

                 

 May 16- 18th 2008                                                                                                      

         Defensive End Osi Umenyiora of the Superbowl Champion New York Giants recently hosted his 2^nd annual “Strike 4 a Cure” Charity Weekend in Atlanta, GA. Last year, Umenyiora teamed up with Terrell Owens for the inaugural launch of the event to raise money for Alzheimer’s and HIV awareness for minorities. Mutually, both causes are dear to both NFL players; Umenyiora has an uncle that died from AIDS in Africa and Owens has a grandmother that battles Alzheimer’s disease. But this year, Owens’s did not participate and his presence was missed as the event was not an overall success for Umenyiora compared to last year’s event.  With a number of lavish events and parties, full of athletes and local celebrities, Osi’s foundation had hoped to raise $1 million for his foundation. Instead, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports his efforts raised less than $10,000.

             NFL players Adewale Ogunleye of the Chicago Bears, Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers, Julian Peterson of the Seattle Seahawks, Takeo Spikes, Carlos Emmons, and LaVar Arrington came out to support Umenyiora’s event. The weekend kicked off on Friday with a Black Tie Affair at the new W Hotel downtown Atlanta. U.S. Senate hopeful and local city official Vernon Jones gave a speech at this year’s event. Radio personality Ramona Debreaux of Atlanta’s V-103 FM co-hosted the event and was on hand to give out the first award from “Make Plays for Africa” (Osi’s foundation) to rapper T.I.’s Grand Hustle’s Organization for their community work. Then on Saturday Umenyiora and friends headed over to 300 Bowling Alley for a celebrity bowling challenge. The event wrapped up on Sunday. A private event was scheduled to be held for invited guest and sponsors at Umenyiora’s mansion in Atlanta however it was canceled for undisclosed reasons. Throughout the weekend Osi and his celebrity friends hosted many parties at the hottest nightspots around Atlanta, but at the end of the day all of the events and celebrity guest failed to raise money for the cause; how disappointing.

             Osi Umenyiora and his brother Jim Umenyiora founded the event 2 years ago and wanted it to become one of the most reputable charities to raise money for AIDS and Alzheimer’s research & awareness programs. The brothers spent more than $40,000 on the event this year and were dissatisfied with the outcome. Seemingly, the brothers’ goal was to raise money for a great cause but instead they wasted thousands of dollars on lush events that turned out uneventful. The goal now, an apparently censured Jim Umenyiora said, is to refocus on good works, not good times. “The parties did nothing. They didn’t help anybody,” said Jim Umenyiora, a 31-year-old financial planner. Jim Umenyiora said in a statement to AJC that he and his brother have canceled future charity events as they plan to regroup. He said the charity eventually is going to succeed. “Hopefully in the next three years, we will get there,” he said. “My brother and I want this to work.” The brothers donated all money raised to the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and to the National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities Inc..Both organizations are based in Atlanta. 

Lakers vs. Celtics – Rivalry Renewed?

Russell vs. Chamberlain. Magic vs. Bird. Garnett vs. Kobe? Does that seem to fit? Or perhaps Pierce vs. Kobe? Or just the Big 3 vs. Kobe? How does this Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals stack up with those of the past?

Starting with the 1969 NBA Finals, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were at the end of their large dynasty. On the flip side, the Los Angeles Lakers had the newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain along with Hall-of-Fame players Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. The Lakers were the heavy favorite with the younger, more athletic team and Russell was at the tail end of his career. However, the Celtics managed to make it all the way to the Finals after being seeded 4^th in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers took the first 2 games at home, then the Celtics bounced back to win games 3 and 4. The Celtics and Lakers then split games 5 and 6, leading up to the always dramatic Game 7. A huge 3^rd quarter and a game-ending injury to Chamberlain allowed the Celtics to prevail and win the NBA Title.

The 1984 NBA Finals would be the next time the Lakers & Celtics would meet, this time with completely different teams. The Lakers were led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson and James Worthy and the Celtics had a farm boy named Larry Bird. Bird ended up winning MVP and the Celtics won the NBA Finals in 7 games. These two teams would meet again in the 1985 NBA Finals, this time with the Lakers winning the series in 6 games and Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received MVP honors. Then again, 1987 gave way to another Lakers-Celtics NBA Final with the Lakers winning again in 6 games.

Now, 21 years later, the Lakers and Celtics meet again. The Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since that 1987 defeated at the hands of the Lakers, while L.A. has been much more successful winning a few championships since then.

So with all those great players mentioned in the 1969 NBA Finals and the Finals in the 1980’s, does 2008 really compare? Kobe Bryant is this year’s MVP and is certainly a future Hall-of-Famer. Other Lakers players like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher will be remembered as great players, but are not necessarily Hall-of-Famers. On the flip side, the big three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are all potential Hall-of-Famers. But with no championship to their names, they are not yet considered to be locks to enter “The Hall” like Kobe.

This is the time to shine for Boston and the big three. It’s time for the Celtics to revive their storied franchise and it’s time for Garnett, Pierce and Allen to put a cap on their great careers.

With that said, can it be done? The Lakers are playing great basketball and have the MVP on their side. They also have head coach Phil Jackson, who is running out of fingers on which to put his championship rings. It will be a tough task for Boston to beat L.A. in a 7-game series, but it can be done.

The Celtics do technically have the home court advantage. But if they lose one of the first two in Boston, then L.A. can win the next 3 games at home and take the series and the championship.

There were two things that allowed the Boston Celtics to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals: Good defense on the road and Ray Allen playing like Ray Allen. If those two things happen again in this series, the Celtics could win. But Boston also needs to control the defensive glass and not allow Gasol and Odom to give the Lakers a ton of second chances.

My personal prediction is the Lakers in 5 games simply because of Kobe, Phil Jackson and the way the team is playing. But Boston certainly has the talent to get it done. They just need to put it all together. It’s now or never.