The Heisman Trophy running back, the mountainous nose tackle, the Butkus award-winning middle linebacker and the speedy corner blitzer –- the Crimson Tide’s national championship team was filled with superstars.

But somewhere lost in the shuffle was a quiet, dependable leader in DT/DE Lorenzo Washington, whose consistency and ability to juggle multiple positions has NFL scouts taking a closer look.

Originally recruited as a nose guard, the athletic defender was shifted to the outside a year after Nick Saban’s arrival in Tuscaloosa.

Playing next to juco standout Terrence Cody meant Washington would relinquish some attention, and some stats, but the 6-5, 288-pound Washington welcomed his new position –- and thrived.

“I like going everywhere, no matter what position it is,” said Washington, who won the Crimson Tide’s Billy Neighbors Defensive Lineman Award after making the switch, followed by the coveted Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award. “I just like playing defensive line.”

In 2008, one of his best plays came against No. 3 Georgia where he swarmed the pocket and pancaked Matthew Stafford for a 10-yard loss.

“He knew how to get from speed to power,” said Alabama defensive line coach Bo Davis. “He knew how to flip his hips to get around the guy, and get to the quarterback. He did a great job with that.

“He can play multiple positions –- that’s the thing about him. When I first got here, I played him at nose guard. And then, he played three-technique, he played five-technique, he played six-technique. I could move him anywhere I wanted to move him and he could play. You have to be smart to be able to do that because with these schemes, when you change positions, you’ve got to know the different techniques that you have to use, and that’s the thing that he brought to the table.”

And that translates into NFL interest.

“He’s played in a 3-4 defense and in a 4-3 defense, and I think that makes him attractive to all 32 teams,” one NFL scout said. “Players like Terrence Cody, his teammate at Alabama, only fit teams that use a true nose tackle. He wouldn’t fit a regular defense. Lorenzo has that type of ability.”

Washington also has ability on special teams, where his blocked punt against Arkansas this past



Lorenzo Washington works the bench press at the IMG Performance Institute in Bradenton, in preparation for the NFL Combine. Missouri State TE Clay Harbor encourages him, while Indiana OT Rodger Saffold congratulates him for a job well done.

season set up the team’s fourth touchdown in a 34-7 win.

Aside from his versatility, which many would consider his forte, Washington has earned praise for his leadership qualities, something he feels made him an asset to Alabama’s national championship program.

“He brought a lot to the room," Davis said. "He wasn’t an outspoken leader, but when he was on the field, he led by example. He was always dependable. You could always depend on him to do his job and that was the thing I enjoyed so much about Lorenzo.”

It’s the mark of a man who says each time he plays, it’s for his mother. “She’s my motivation. She’s why I do what I do,” said Washington, who grew up idolizing Bruce Smith.

It’s the mark of a man who moved around a lot growing up, witnessed his share of bullies and always leant a hand to younger teammates.

“Sometimes when I was younger, I wish somebody would have pulled me aside and helped me out or asked me something," he said. "So I try to do that. There are a lot of kids out there who need that these days.

“Just being the oldest out of all my sisters and being the oldest out of my cousins, I enjoy doing things like that. I’ve always been looked at as a ‘big brother.’”

In fact, if Washington does make it in the league, he hopes to start a charity to benefit some of the poorer neighborhoods outside of Atlanta, an area not too far from where he lives.

“I’ve seen bad places in Atlanta where people don’t want to go [to help] and it’s not fair because those people need people looking out for them too. Sometimes the places people don’t want to go are the places where the people need the most help.”

In an age where football prima donnas have invaded nearly every NFL locker room, Washington is a breath of fresh air.

He carries no baggage, doesn’t question his coaches, and comes to work each day with an open mind, making him the ideal candidate for any club looking to invest in its future.

“He is very bright and very coachable,” Davis said. “He tries to help everybody. Even people that were playing his position, he tried to help them … He was always supportive of Cody.”

Combine coachability with experience –- he played in 49 games in his college career, including starts in back-to-back seasons as one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses –- and Washington certainly demands a closer look from teams vying for depth up front.

“I think his skill can really take it to the next level and be a pretty solid pro,” said the NFL scout, who followed Washington throughout his college career. “He’s one of those guys that, coming to the next level, he’s not going to get drafted high. He’s going to be a late-round draft choice, but he’s the type of athlete that can stick and have a long career.”

-- JENNA LAINE
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