Donald David Washington III (born July 28, 1986) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...

and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

. He played

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

Franklin Central High School Franklin Central High School (FCHS) is a public four-year high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is the only high school in the Franklin Township Community School Corporation. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 2,503 ...

in Indianapolis. Washington has also played for the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

College career

Washington enrolled at

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

in 2005, but spent the season performing on the scout team. He was named the team's Outstanding Freshman in 2006, starting nine games at boundary cornerback and nickel back in 2006. He produced 41 tackles (28 solos) with a stop behind the line of scrimmage. He also caused two fumbles and recovered another that he returned 48 yards. As a sophomore, Washington moved to field cornerback, starting all 13 games. He registered 39 tackles (29 solos) that included his only sack as a Buckeye. He recovered a fumble, broke up two passes and returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. Washington was suspended for the team's first two games of the 2008 season for a violation of team rules. "I'll be honest and admit I made a mistake," he said. "That's the only way you can handle it. The best thing to do is just be honest." When he returned, he spent most of the season as a reserve, starting two games at boundary cornerback. He managed just 22 tackles (18 solos) with a fumble recovery and a 34-yard interception return. Washington joined receiver

Brian Hartline Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the four ...

and running back

Beanie Wells Christopher Michael Wells (born August 7, 1988), known as Chris Wells or Beanie Wells, is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round (31st overall pick) of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Ohi ...

as three Ohio State underclassmen to declare for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

Washington was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the

. Washington was on the Chiefs as a second string strong safety. In 2011, Washington finished his season with 25 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and one pass deflection. On August 31 Washington was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs after being pulled over by state police and found to be carrying marijuana and suspected MDMA. He was later charged with possession of a controlled substance and convicted of a Felony in the fourth degree.

Toronto Argonauts

On May 7, 2014, Washington was signed by the

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. During the 2014 CFL season, Washington recorded 14 defensive tackles and 1 special teams tackle. On June 14, 2015, Washington was released by the Argonauts.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On May 7, 2016, Washington was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers after receiving a tryout at their rookie minicamp. On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Steelers as part of final roster cuts.

References

External links

Ohio State Buckeyes bioKansas City Chiefs bioToronto Argonauts bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Donald 1986 births Living people African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football American football cornerbacks Canadian football defensive backs Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Kansas City Chiefs players Ohio State Buckeyes football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Indianapolis Players of Canadian football from Indianapolis Toronto Argonauts players