Will Blackmon | Al Washington Brings What Notre Dame Needs
When Al Washington and Will Blackmon were standout performers for Boston College almost two decades ago, there wasn’t much talk about futures in coaching.
OK, there wasn’t any talk about that.
“Oh God, no,” Blackmon says. “Hell no. No. Think about it, we're in college and we're starters at the highest level you can play. At the time we were in the Big East and then we moved to the ACC, two divisions that were Power-5 and we competed.
“Coaching in the future wasn't even on the mind at all. It was, 'Hey, let's try to get this thing. Let's try to go and play in the NFL.'”
Blackmon would go onto a career in the NFL with the Packers, Giants, Jaguars and Redskins while Washington quickly transitioned into the coaching ranks after college.
In hindsight, Blackmon realizes Washington already possessed many of the traits that would lead to success as a coach when they met.
“His demeanor, how he approached his work, his intensity was apparent from day one,” says Blackmon. “That's what stood out most to me and I'm sure that's what other coaches saw too, just how intense he was. How everything was real serious.
“He had a great personality and great sense of humor, that's why he and I got along, but we complemented each other. We were both hard workers. But he was probably more mature than I was.”
As roommates, Blackmon witnessed that maturity right away in Chestnut Hill, where the duo saw playing time as true freshmen in 2002.
“He was big on taking care of his body at 18 years old,” Blackmon recalls. “He always ate the right things. It was important for him to get the proper sleep.”
Washington had a specific evening routine. He’d eat his meal, pump up his music, roll out his personal mat and stretch.
“He would stretch every single night,” Blackmon says. “Literally to the point where Al was flexible enough to do the splits.”
Washington was a huge believer in flexibility preventing injuries.
“Instead of me thinking, 'Hey, you should stretch too,' I would just watch him stretch and be like, 'What is this guy doing?'” Blackmon laughs. “I'm like, 'We're going to stretch as a team tomorrow.'
“He's like, 'Nah, I've got to get it in early, so I can take care of my body.' It was like little things like that. Even studying, he was always attention to detail. That's what I really admire about Al.”
Washington may not have been a loud or rowdy leader, but it was clear to everybody that the team was paramount.
“Everything he did was catered toward making the team better,” says Blackmon. “He knew that if he was at his best, it gave our team the best chance to compete. He was always about his teammates. He was always team-first, team-first. He had everyone's back, it didn't matter who it was.”
In a game at Virginia during Washington’s senior season, a Cavalier offensive lineman cheap-shotted Mathias Kiwanuka, diving into the back of the BC star defensive end’s knees.
“Al just lost it and went after the dude,” Blackmon recalls.
Washington was ejected for sticking up for his teammate.
“He knew that wasn't right,” Blackmon explains. “That's not what you do. He was willing to take one for the team because that's what it was all about. Al's style as a player is he led with love first. Everything mattered to him.”
That’s led to Washington leading successful position groups at his alma mater, Michigan, Ohio State and other stops along his way to Notre Dame, where he was hired as the Irish’s defensive line coach this offseason.
Washington has also enjoyed success by recruiting well enough to have top talent to coach.
“It's because he's real,” Blackmon says of Washington’s success on the recruiting trail. “At the end of the day, it’s authenticity, keeping it honest, keeping it real.
“He's not going to sell you any smoke or mirrors. He is who he is. I think that's why he's been having a lot of success finding these kids and getting along with them.”
It’s easy to advise a prospect to choose a school over a coach, but in reality, coaches still play a huge role in the selection process.
“I look back at when I was a recruit, the guy I committed to is the guy I got along with the most and that was Jason Swepson at BC,” Blackmon says. “Swep's the one who recruited me. He's the one that lured me away from (Notre Dame) and everybody else back in the day.
“I think that's just what it comes down to, man. It's been cool that he's went through the process. He's been in this situation. He's seen it from every perspective. He's been fortunate to not only play at big-time programs, but then coach and recruit at big-time programs. He really got to see what it looks like in the grand scheme of things. He has access to all of these unique pipelines to recruit.
“He has the résumé to be who he is and that's pretty much what Notre Dame needs.”
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