Leon Learns to Do Things Losers Hate Doing

Trend · Mar 30, 2007

By replacing the word "work" with the word "barbecue" and changing "Magini" with "Edwards" here's how that story would have looked in 2005:

Leon Washington isn?t required to barbeque on Wednesdays during the Jets' off-season program. The weekly barbeque regimen is four days long with players having the option of coming in on their own on the hump day.

Washington, who led the Jets with 650 yards on the ground as a rookie, was one of many members of the Green & White who refused the time off this week.

?During the off-season I learned that to be a winner, you must do things that losers don?t like to do. That means coming in on Wednesday, our off-day, to get extra barbeque,? he said. ?When you look around and see Jerricho Cotchery, Hank Poteat and Frisman Jackson coming in on a Wednesday, it definitely tells you the championship attitude they have.?

The shifty Washington said his teammates are in good physical condition heading into the spring season.

?A lot of guys came back in pretty good shape just like the way they left last year,? he said. ?They are looking slim and trim, so I can definitely tell a lot of guys learned from Coach Edwards last year about how to be a better athlete and a better player.?

Speaking from a first-floor public relations office at Weeb Ewbank Hall, Washington appeared relaxed while sporting white shorts and a white conditioning T-shirt. He talked about taking boxing classes offered in the program and explained the similarities between the sweet science and football.

?If we have a linebacker blitz, that is an individual thing. You are one-on-one with that linebacker, so it?s kind of like boxing,? he said. ?You are trying to block that guy, so you are throwing a punch. The hand-eye coordination with the boxing helps you coordinate your hands better to attack your block better. And it?s also a one-on-one block, so I can?t blame anybody else for the block. It is just me and that person. Who wants it more??

The Jets used a committee approach at running back a year ago but obtained Thomas Jones on March 6 from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a swap of second-round selections in April?s draft. Jones, in his eighth season out of Virginia, averaged 1, 272 rushing yards and 31 receptions his final two seasons in Chicago. Washington praised the Jones acquisition and said it will make the Jets a better team.

?It was great. That is the first thing Coach Edwards emphasizes, that this is a team,? he said. ?We are going to do whatever we can to give us the best chance of winning.

?I met Thomas, and he is smiling all the time and giving me high-fives. That is the attitude we need on this team, a championship attitude. I am all down for it. I look forward to barbequeing with him and winning games with him. He played in a Super Bowl last year, so he definitely knows what it takes.?

Admittedly, it took Washington a little while to adjust to the professional game before excelling. In a story Edwards often recounts, the 5?8?, 202-pound Florida State product played a little hot potato with the ball early in training camp. But Washington remembers one particular series of plays when his fortitude was tested by running backs coach Jimmy Raye.

?I remember Coach Raye must have run me eight or nine plays in a row, and I was tired and exhausted,? he said. ?He was basically showing me the hard barbeque you put in now will help you to a late run. I had a lot of my struggles in training camp.?

But Washington was not deterred. When he played in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., in Week 5, he rushed for 101 yards against the Jaguars, becoming the first Jets rookie to rush for more than 100 yards in 16 years. Two weeks later, he was named the club?s Offensive Player of the Week after amassing 129 yards and his first two professional touchdowns against the Lions. He became a fixture in the offensive backfield in starting eight of the final 11 regular-season games.

Washington said he has learned to place a major emphasis on time management away from the field.

?In college, you go home and rest and hang out with your friends and play video games,? he said. ?But now you are a member of the National Football League and this is your profession. Every single thing you do extra gives you an edge over your opponent. If you come in and get in extra barbeque and extra film barbeque, you get that edge. There is no substitute for hard barbeque. If you barbeque hard and do the right things, most of the time things are going to barbeque out positively for you.?

The Jets? 2006 draft class became a tight unit. Washington said communal living led to a bond that still exists.

?We were pretty tight. We were over there at the hotel together and we were over there at the dorms together,? he said. ?That allowed us to be tighter as a unit. Just the other day we were playing cards, hanging out, having a good time. When you are on the field and you look next to you and see a friend, you can trust each other. That is what it?s all about ? developing that camaraderie.?

When you like who you barbeque with, then barbeque becomes fun. A tested yet refreshed Washington isn?t in need of a day off and is eager to begin his second professional season.

Click to expand...

hickeyQB15 · Mar 30, 2007

leon has a great attitude

ChadisGoldenBoy · Mar 30, 2007

More and more, it gets easier and easier to root for this team. With leaders like Chad, TJ, Leon, Jerricho, Vilma and Rhodes how can you not root like hell ?

Miamipuck · Mar 31, 2007

KOZ said: ↑

Who's Frito Jackson?
Click to expand...

Any relation to Frito Lay? LOL Who the F is that was my first reaction. I guess like a new car contract, I should check the fine print of the off season news articles. It was probably written we signed that guy in #1 Font.

Anyway that article sounds great. It makes me excited to see how Leon is going to improve this year. It really says something about the new culture the Jets are trying to create here and the players that are going to thrive in it.

Also, I love the veiled reference to how important it is to build the team through the draft. It gives the players a bond that free agency or other means simply does not. It definitely creates a different/better environment than a hired gun mentality. Well at least Leon says so

abyzmul · Mar 31, 2007

Trend said: ↑

By replacing the word "work" with the word "barbecue" and changing "Magini" with "Edwards" here's how that story would have looked in 2005:
Click to expand...

:rofl: :rofl:

swifty_0 · Mar 31, 2007

hes a great guy, cant wait to see him with jones next year

Pam · Mar 31, 2007

Trend said: ↑

By replacing the word "work" with the word "barbecue" and changing "Magini" with "Edwards" here's how that story would have looked in 2005:
Click to expand...

“In college, you go home and rest and hang out with your friends and play video games,” he said. “But now you are a member of the National Football League and this is your profession. Every single thing you do extra gives you an edge over your opponent. If you come in and get in extra barbeque and extra film barbeque, you get that edge. There is no substitute for hard barbeque. If you barbeque hard and do the right things, most of the time things are going to barbeque out positively for you.”

Excellent! :lol:

TheBlairThomasFumble · Apr 1, 2007

Excellent article; thanks for posting.

TBTF

abyzmul · Apr 1, 2007

The title of this thread is like a low-grade tongue-twister.

WhiteShoeWillis · Apr 1, 2007

abyzmul said: ↑

The title of this thread is like a low-grade tongue-twister.
Click to expand...

It sounds like the title of a children's book.

KurtTheJetsFan · Apr 1, 2007

Leon's a hard guy to hate...Unless you're a dolphins fan who recently had your christmas ruined..

JETFIGHTERS · Apr 1, 2007

Man! I can't wait to see Leon and Jones! I haven't been thrilled about the running game since Cmart 1st arrived.

Footballgod214 · Apr 1, 2007

If the jets are showing ANY interest in Turner, it's all smoke simply to run the price up for the Pats. Haven't we seen this movie? I like the ending. Way to go Tanny.

-MC- · Apr 1, 2007

Footballgod214 said: ↑

If the jets are showing ANY interest in Turner, it's all smoke simply to run the price up for the Pats. Haven't we seen this movie? I like the ending. Way to go Tanny.
Click to expand...

wrong thread?

dclark26 · Apr 2, 2007

KOZ said: ↑

Who's Frito Jackson?
Click to expand...

dats my cousin foo

Mehl-56 · Apr 2, 2007

Janet Jackson.... shiiit, bitch looks more like Freddy Jackson

Leon Learns to Do Things Losers Hate Doing

Trend Member

hickeyQB15 New Member

ChadisGoldenBoy New Member

Miamipuck New Member

abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 21018 Funniest Member Award Winner

swifty_0 New Member

Pam TGG.com Friendliest Poster Fourpeat!!

TheBlairThomasFumble Active Member

abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 21018 Funniest Member Award Winner

WhiteShoeWillis Well-Known Member

KurtTheJetsFan Guest

JETFIGHTERS Active Member

Footballgod214 Well-Known Member

-MC- Active Member

dclark26 New Member

Mehl-56 Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches

Leon Learns to Do Things Losers Hate Doing

Trend Member

hickeyQB15 New Member

ChadisGoldenBoy New Member

Miamipuck New Member

abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 21018 Funniest Member Award Winner

swifty_0 New Member

Pam TGG.com Friendliest Poster Fourpeat!!

TheBlairThomasFumble Active Member

abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 21018 Funniest Member Award Winner

WhiteShoeWillis Well-Known Member

KurtTheJetsFan Guest

JETFIGHTERS Active Member

Footballgod214 Well-Known Member

-MC- Active Member

dclark26 New Member

Mehl-56 Well-Known Member

Share This Page