Little Leon draws big raves Washington's teammates expect the second-year back to have a breakout season Tuesday, August 28, 2007 By DAVE HUTCHINSON STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE HEMPSTEAD, L.I. -- Nose tackle Dewayne Robertson sometimes finds himself stretching his neck from the sidelines, trying to get a glimpse of his teammate's latest jaw-dropping move. Quarterback Chad Pennington calls the pint-sized speedster one of the toughest guys on the team. Center Nick Mangold said blocking for him is pure fun and he marvels at his ability to cut in an instant. Linebacker Eric Barton added that the second-year pro is one of those players you have to account for on every play. Wide receiver Laveranues Coles described him as one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. The subject of those testimonials is Jets running back Leon Washington, a 5-8, 202-pound dynamo who has his own fan club among his teammates and seems poised to burst onto the NFL landscape in a big way this season, especially if his performance this preseason is any indication. Washington, a steal of a fourth-round pick in 2006 out of Florida State, returned a kickoff 86 yards and had a 25-yard run in the preseason opener against the Falcons. He then rushed for 52 yards on just 11 carries against a stingy Vikings' run defense that ranked first in the NFL last season. And last week he scored on a 79-yard catch-and-run play, hauling in the ball around midfield and putting an ankle-breaking move on Giants cornerback R.W. McQuarters and safety James Butler at the 35-yard line, darting between the pair and sprinting to the end zone. This season, Washington will share time with veteran Thomas Jones, giving the Jets an explosive duo. Jones has missed the past two preseason games with a strained right calf but will be ready for the opener against the Patriots on Sept. 9 at Giants Stadium. Washington had a team-high 650 yards rushing (fourth-highest all time among Jets rookies) and four touchdowns last season. "There's a lot of potential all over the league," Washington said yesterday. "It's really about production." Last season, his 64-yard gain on a screen pass against Miami set up the winning field goal in a critical Week 16 victory. He had two 100-yard rushing games, including a 129-yard, two-TD performance in a win over the Lions. He averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry and caught 25 passes for 270 yards. He also returned punts and kickoffs. Some might argue the diminutive Washington isn't equipped to handle the rigors of a full-time back, but Pennington disagrees. "People overlook Leon's toughness," Pennington said. "They think because he's little that he's more of a scatback or a guy you want to get out in space. But this guy is one of the toughest guys we have on the team. He stands in there and blocks linebackers and defenders that are twice his size. He's not scared to stick his face in there and the same goes with him running the ball. It's pretty amazing, his mentality." Against the Giants, Pennington's pass to Washington on the first play of the game was the lone highlight for an offense stuck in an ugly malaise. After that play, the Jets' first-team offense had six straight three-and-outs, not counting one play just before halftime. "Leon can score from anywhere on the field, running back, wide receiver," Coles said. "You put him on special teams and he's going to make something happen. He's just an explosive player. He has done nothing but grab the attention and respect of everybody around here. He's proven himself to be one of the elite and most dangerous weapons in the NFL." Washington truly feels he's more than a change-of-pace back good for five to 10 carries a game, but he'll do whatever is asked of him -- catching passes or running the ball. He says the coaches know best. "Of course, the game slows down a little after you have a year's experience," he said. "But the best part I've improved on is the mental part, preparing myself coming into a game, knowing what teams are going to try to do against my type of plays. It's a thing of anticipating, being prepared for it when it happens." Said Robertson: "I'm just glad Leon is on our team." http://www.silive.com/sports/advance/index.ssf?/base/Sports/1188296126215100.xml&coll=1
I think the little guy is gonna be huge for us....break out year....also for all those fantasy heads out there....
nice article. im obviously a big leon fan. if we had a real o-line we'd be set as far as the running game goes for a while.
i just hope he gets a lot more catches this year. like 60-70 (reggie bush had 90 i believe). line him up at WR with thomas jones at RB. deadly.
I love Leon. He was probably the biggest steal of the draft. If over the next year or two we improve our OL to superball quality he will kill the competition.
I'm with you guys on this one, completely. Leon was a steal in the 4th and he is a hard nosed back / receiver who breaks ankles in the open field. It's a treat to see him on the field when at the games. Defensive players are literally caught leaning the wrong way with no chance to get him by the time he's done making his cut. I'd love to see him get 80+ receptions, similar to what Bush and Westbrook will get once again this year. LEONNNNN!
The guy he reminds me the most of at this point in his career is Warrick Dunn. Same size-related questions about Dunn in TB early in his career and same elusiveness and toughness. Washington is a bit chunkier than Dunn but he has the same potential as a hard to hit scatback. I don't care what people are saying right now about his overall toughness, he will not survive as anything other than a dodger who makes people miss and avoids the crushing hits as much as possible. Nothing wrong with that, since Barry Sanders, Warrick Dunn, Mercury Morris and a host of others have excelled in that role.
I hope Leon Washington puts a move on Teddy B that leaves him shaking for the rest of the game. He'll be "Making a Wish" that Leon never comes his way again.
I'm really excited about Leon. He was underrated in college and he's showing many people that they were wrong to underestimate him because of his size.
I see a lot of a Priest Holmes type back in Leon. Small, Shifty, Quick, capable of big plays. Who know if he'll ever put up those type numbers, but one can only hope! :beer: Gotta love Leon.
Nice to hear we'll be seeing Leon lined up at wideout in some scoring situations. He is an exciting dude to have on the team, I'm glad he is working out the way he has. I agree with the stuff that Br4dw4y5ux had to say as well, right down to the Dunn comparison.
Leo Washington is my new best friend, and I'm going to invite him to all my birthday parties! I know he's a busy guy, so I'll understand if he can't make it -- That's what Best Friends are -- Understanding.
Every once in a while you get to see a very special player emerge from obscurity , last year Leon "Boom Boom" Washington did just that. This year he is poised to do it again. I know he will be sharing time with Thomas Jones but he doesn’t need 20 carries a game to do what he does....Just simply amaze. I looked back on the preseason games as well as last seasons highlights and Leon outright baffles the defenders ; They don’t know which way he's going left right it doesn’t matter . When Leon has a seam or a hole to run threw that’s it... see ya. I am really glad he's on our team and he better gets locked up when his contract is up. This is one guy you do not want your defense to have to contend with!
Having Leon in there right now as a change of pace back when Jones comes back will be a fantastic advantage to have. He is so quick in comparison that opposing defenses will have to gameplan heavily for 2 backs.
Great read and very true, leon is a dangerous playmaker for this offense. And having TJ helps him out even more.
And Thank You, Kansas City Chiefs, for the 4th Round pick you gave us for The Numbskull. This trade has to go down in NFL history as having been one of the most prolific trades of all time.
Could you imagine that most people on here and around the NFL thought we got ripped off in that deal?
