Lewis Washington offers versatility, advantage for Southeast Missouri State football team's offense

Southeast Missouri State senior Lewis Washington is listed as a fullback on the football team, but he brings more to the offense than a typical fullback. He lines up all over the offense.

Washington has also seen time as a running back, tight end and wide receiver this season.

For him to be effective in many roles, Washington has to put in as much mental work as anyone on the team.

"It's a lot of learning and a lot of adjusting on the fly," Washington said about needing to learn multiple packages and positions. "There's so much studying and a lot to remember honestly. You get used to it, and it's actually a lot of fun because you never get bored from doing one thing. I'm always doing a bunch of things coming from receiver to running back to fullback. It makes there be a lot of different skill sets for me to work on."

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sherard Poteete is impressed by Washington's ability to learn the offense from multiple spots on the field.

"Lewis is an intelligent kid, one of the smartest kids on our team, so he's been able to learn," Poteete said. "He's playing three positions and sometimes even four with wide receiver, and it's something he can handle. You don't want to put too much learning on him, but he's a guy who can handle it. He's a smart kid."

Poteete also credits tight ends coach Joe Uhls with helping prepare Washington for many roles throughout the week.

"Coach Uhls has done a great job coaching him," Poteete said. "He's coaching him at his tight end position and his fullback position. Then he has to go over with him at his running back plays that are in that week. So Coach Uhls has to be versatile in his position meetings of how he divides his time."

Along with having to learn multiple positions, Washington has to build chemistry with many players and coaches of different positions, but he doesn't have any issues with that.

"We have chemistry just from being around each other," Washington said. "It's really not anything too different than anybody else because everyone has got great chemistry."

Washington's skill as a pass catcher was on display against Eastern Illinois. He caught one of freshman quarterback Dante Vandeven's two touchdown passes for an 8-yard score. With the reception, Washington became the only Southeast player to catch a touchdown this season other than senior wide receiver Paul McRoberts.

It was also the first receiving touchdown of Washington's career.

"For a big guy he's got really soft hands and can catch the ball well," Poteete said. "We try to use his skills as a blocker, skills as a receiver, and we let him carry the ball, especially in short-yardage situations."

Washington has not always been the bruising runner and blocker he is today. In high school at Mansfield Summit in Arlington, Texas, Washington was a running back, but he also ran track and was a state competitor as a hurdler.

"So he was an athletic kid. He came to college, and with the weight room and food, he just kind of filled out," Poteete said of the 5-foot-10, 260-pound Washington. "He's a bigger kid that still has the running back skill sets, so he's a real good mismatch. Whether it's on a smaller guy he can use his weight and size, but if it's on a bigger guy he can use his athletic ability and his skill sets there."

"Track got hard because I got heavy," Washington said. "I wasn't shaped like a football player when I was younger. Being a 200-220 hurdler got tough after a while. It got a little easier to just hit people."

That ability to hit people and block doesn't always show up on the stat sheets, but he's been an important member of the backfield since starting running back DeMichael Jackson suffered a season-ending torn ACL.

Junior Tremane McCullough has been the lead back for the Redhawks with Washington helping take short-yardage situations. Washington has had success as a goal line back, including scoring his lone rushing touchdown against Indiana State.

"My favorite job's playing running back on the goal line," Washington said. "I like the short-yardage situations, it's probably the easiest stuff I have to do, just follow my blockers."