Life as a Mountaineer - Keith Washington II
September 12, 2019 12:45 PM | Football
Keith Washington II's big Mountaineer football moment came in the fourth quarter of last year's 42-34 victory at Texas Tech.
West Virginia jumped out to a big lead on the Red Raiders before Tech scored three straight times to pull to within eight points with 7:50 remaining.
At that moment it was anyone's ballgame – that is until Mr. Washington took over.
Keith stepped in front of a Jett Duffey pass at midfield and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. Game over. Another West Virginia football victory.
"The first Division I college game that I started I just went out there and played freely and played fast," Washington recalled. "The pick was a cover two scheme. I funneled the guy inside and the quarterback just threw the ball in my hands and I just made a play and it was football after that."
That play gave Washington the confidence he needed to remain in the starting lineup.
"Once I made a couple of plays that game I was like, 'Hey, you know.' That kind of gave me a little confidence for the rest of the season," he explained.
Washington finished his junior season with three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 40 total tackles to earn Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors.
A defensive back earning any recognition in the Big 12 carries a lot of weight considering the style of play in this conference. A corner who can hold his own in this league can hold his own in any league.
"You are out there on an island. All eyes are on you," Washington explained. "It's pretty much a one-on-one matchup the whole game and you've got to do your job."
Playing defensive back at a Power 5 school was probably the last thing Washington expected. Playing high school football in Prattville, Alabama, Washington was one of the state's top quarterback prospects and signed with Michigan out of high school.
But he soon switched to cornerback and eventually decided to switch schools.
"I signed with Michigan out of high school, played there for a couple of years and decided to transfer. I didn't want to sit out a year so I had to go the JUCO route," he said. "I went to Copiah-Lincoln in Mississippi and West Virginia came into the picture and I made the decision to come here."
It's a decision Washington doesn't regret for one second.
"I love it here at West Virginia," he said. "I love the fans and I love the culture. It's most definitely the best decision I've made in my life."
"He's a sharp kid. He works hard - a guy who understands what he represents," cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae says. "He's humble in his approach and he's excited to be a Mountaineer.
"He's played a lot of meaningful football so there are not many things that he hasn't seen. The good thing about veterans are they are able to see it and then come back to you and talk about it. He's been a treat to coach, I'll tell you that," Addae concluded.
Life as a Mountaineer is brought to you each week by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
Produced by Chris Ostien
West Virginia jumped out to a big lead on the Red Raiders before Tech scored three straight times to pull to within eight points with 7:50 remaining.
At that moment it was anyone's ballgame – that is until Mr. Washington took over.
Keith stepped in front of a Jett Duffey pass at midfield and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. Game over. Another West Virginia football victory.
"The first Division I college game that I started I just went out there and played freely and played fast," Washington recalled. "The pick was a cover two scheme. I funneled the guy inside and the quarterback just threw the ball in my hands and I just made a play and it was football after that."
That play gave Washington the confidence he needed to remain in the starting lineup.
"Once I made a couple of plays that game I was like, 'Hey, you know.' That kind of gave me a little confidence for the rest of the season," he explained.
Washington finished his junior season with three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 40 total tackles to earn Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors.
A defensive back earning any recognition in the Big 12 carries a lot of weight considering the style of play in this conference. A corner who can hold his own in this league can hold his own in any league.
"You are out there on an island. All eyes are on you," Washington explained. "It's pretty much a one-on-one matchup the whole game and you've got to do your job."
Playing defensive back at a Power 5 school was probably the last thing Washington expected. Playing high school football in Prattville, Alabama, Washington was one of the state's top quarterback prospects and signed with Michigan out of high school.
But he soon switched to cornerback and eventually decided to switch schools."I signed with Michigan out of high school, played there for a couple of years and decided to transfer. I didn't want to sit out a year so I had to go the JUCO route," he said. "I went to Copiah-Lincoln in Mississippi and West Virginia came into the picture and I made the decision to come here."
It's a decision Washington doesn't regret for one second.
"I love it here at West Virginia," he said. "I love the fans and I love the culture. It's most definitely the best decision I've made in my life."
"He's a sharp kid. He works hard - a guy who understands what he represents," cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae says. "He's humble in his approach and he's excited to be a Mountaineer.
"He's played a lot of meaningful football so there are not many things that he hasn't seen. The good thing about veterans are they are able to see it and then come back to you and talk about it. He's been a treat to coach, I'll tell you that," Addae concluded.
Life as a Mountaineer is brought to you each week by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
Produced by Chris Ostien
Players Mentioned
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