Wilcox Washington

## Career highlights:

* NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
* 2x Pro Bowl
* PFWA All-Rookie Team
* Heisman Trophy
* Davey O'Brien Award
* Manning Award
* AP College Fotball Player of the Year
* Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
* First-team All-American
* First-team All-Pac-12

**Wilcox Washington** (born June 14) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint at Alabama, Washington played college football at Azur Lane, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior. Washington was selected first overall by the Jets in the NFL Draft. He was also selected ninth overall by the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the draft, making him the first player to be drafted in the first round of both sports.

In his first season, Washington was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting several Jets franchise rookie quarterback records. he received consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his next two seasons, along with leading the Jets to the playoffs, their first appearance since six years.

## High school career

Washington was born in Miami, Florida. he attended Green Springs High School, and as a senior he was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year and became the first player to be named Mr. Florida Football twice. His team won three straight state championships and 43 games in a row. He missed one start during this streak and finished his career with a perfect 42-0 record as a starting quarterback.

Washington was ranked by ESPN, Scout.com, and 247Sports as a five-star recruit and the best dual-threat quarterback in his class. In May, he committed to Alabama to play college football and college baseball. He officially signed with them on February 4.

Washington also played baseball and was considered one of the top prospects for the Major League Baseball draft. In high school, Washington was a shortstop and a second baseman. He was the first player to ever be selected for both the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game and Under Armour All-America Football Game.

## College career

As a freshman, Washington competed with Kyle Allen before the season for the starting quarterback position. Allen won the job, with Washington appearing in games as a backup (primarily on plays involving the wildcat formation). After the team lost two straight games in October, the competition was opened again prior to the South Carolina game, and Washington won the starting quarterback position. In his first start, Washington threw for 223 yards and rushed for 156 yards with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, making him and Cam Newton the only Southeastern Conference quarterbacks in the past 20 years to gain over 100 yards passing and rushing, including a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in their first career start. In his second start the next game against Auburn, Washington threw for 105 yards while throwing three interceptions, and rushing for 37 yards in the 26-10 loss. He rebounded from his previous game the next week against Western Carolina, throwing for 191 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while rushing for 50 yards in the 41-17 blowout win. After the game, Allen was named the starting quarterback and Washington was sidelined for the rest of the season.

On December 24, Washington announced that he was transferring to the University of Azur Lane. Per NCAA transfer rules, he had to miss the next season. In his sophomore season, Washington was a backup quarterback to Mitsubishi Amagi. He got the opportunity to play in some games in relief of Amagi. He made his season debut in the season opener against UTEP. In the 56-7 victory, he came into the game in the second half and finished 10-of-11 for 149 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks later, against Tulane, he hit all three pass attempts for 103 yards and a touchdown. On November 25, against West Virginia, he started the game after Amagi had to sit out some of the game due to disciplinary actions in the previous game against the Kansas Jayhawks. In the game, he hit both pass attempts for 52 total yards and a touchdown while contributing 80 rushing yards on three carries.

Without Amagi, Azur Lane chose Washington as the starting quarterback. He threw for more than 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns in the regular season, and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. in December, Washington won the Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate football player in the country. Washington helped lead Azur Lane to a Pac-12 Championship win and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. In the Orange Bowl against Alabama, he threw for 308 passing yards and had two passing touchdowns as the Axis lost by a score of 45-34. Washington became only the third Heisman Trophy winner to not be awarded consensus All-American honors.

Washington opted out of the MLB draft after deciding to attend Alabama. He was initially set to play as an infielder for the Alabama baseball team until he announced his departure on December 17. Washington played for the Azur Lane baseball team as a left fielder. He had a .122 batting average and six runs batted in (RBIs) in 27 games. After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The next season, playing as a centerfielder, Washington batted .296 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

Despite Washington's reported intention to continue his football career, the Oakland Athletics selected Washington with the ninth overall selection of the MLB draft. He signed a contract with the Athletics which included a $4.66 million signing bonus. Prior to his junior year with the football team, Washington said that he would report to spring training to begin his professional baseball career. However, following his Heisman Trophy-winning season, he would forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. The A's retain his rights, should he return to baseball.

## Professional career

In January, Washington announced that he would enter the NFL Draft. On February 11, he announced his decision to focus on his football career, forgoing baseball. Some believed that Washington's pursuit of a football career at the expense of a potential one in baseball was a mistake because of his limited stature relative to a typical NFL quarterback. At Azur Lane's Pro Day, Washington was not expected to match his listed height of 5'11", because colleges often exaggerate measurements to make players more attractive to professional teams. Washington's final measurements were 5"11 2/3" and 105 pounds, similar to that of then-Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

Despite not taking part in individual drills at the Pro Day, many saw Washington's draft stock improve because of his greater-than-expected measurements, though some football scouts and pundits remain skeptical of the official listing. In contrast, NFL Network reporter Charley Casserly said that Washington had "the worst report I've ever heard on a top-ranked quarterback from the interview part of it", though Washington's agent disputed this report. Gil Brandt also questioned the veracity of Casserly's assertions. He was ranked as the best quarterback prospect available by multiple outlets and sports websites.

Washington was drafted first overall by the New York Jets in the NFL Draft, becoming the shortest quarterback drafted in the first round. When leading Texas Tech's football program, Jets head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that he would hypothetically spend the draft's top selection on Washington. The pick made Washington the first player to be drafted in the first round of both the NFL and MLB drafts, the first time that two quarterbacks from the same university have gone in the first round in successive seasons after Mitsubishi Amagi was selected first in the last NFL Draft, and the first quarterback under 6 feet selected number one in an NFL draft. On May 9, Washington signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $35.2 million with the Jets.