The first thing you notice is his confidence. The second thing is his smile. These are related of course, and if they’re indicative of anything, it’s that Penn State receiver Parker Washington is someone who knows exactly what he’s good at and where it could take him.
Of course like all journeys, the road between Point A and Point B will not always be a straight one. Take, for example his 2020, a year mirroring the same stressful and uncertain obstacles everyone faced during a pandemic. In his case Washington enrolled at a new school 1,500 miles from home, started playing on a new team that was not particularly good for significant portion of the season and tried to avoid contracting a highly contagious virus while spending time around lots of people. Thing could have gone better.
But in spite of it all Washington still managed to turn himself – a fast, reliable and glue-for-hands receiver – into one of the rising stars in college football, so that smile was well earned.
A new chapter begins for everyone in 2021, but it will mark the biggest of Washington’s life so far. He will be a name Penn State fans and college football watchers across the country will know. He will become a top priority on opposing defense’s game plans. He will be known and becoming known comes with its own pitfalls. The media shield granted to all freshmen will be lifted and the cameras will be blinding after each and every game. Life is different now, for better or for worse.
It would appear an introduction is in order, at least a preliminary one.
So first of all, Parker isn’t his first name [we’ll get to that later.] He just got his hunting license, he has worked with foster children back home in Texas. His sister is also in college football as a director of recruiting and creative content at Texas Tech. He is a quiet guy, but he’s not afraid of the attention. There’s more, but that will do for now.
Everyone will learn about Parker Washington in the months and years to come. So call this the prologue to a story just beginning.
Questions and answers have been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.
StateCollege.com: You were born in Starkville, Mississippi.
Parker Washington: Yes sir, I was.
SC: I’ve actually been there, it was hot as [redacted]
PW: *laughs*
What do you miss the most about Texas [Washington grew up there] outside of your family and friends? What’s the thing that you would do right now if you were back home?
I will say there’s definitely a couple food places I want to go to, like, especially at certain times of the day like I want to go to Canes, Whataburger definitely. But just being in town with my mom that’s definitely a big thing for me as well, so just those small little things.
You wore No. 3 in basketball and football, what is the story behind that?
OK, this is actually a pretty cool story. When I first started playing Little League I wore No.8 and my dad wore No. 8 all through high school in college. And so what I decided is kind of unique. I was like, if you physically cut the eight and a half it kind of makes it three, so I wanted to do that, so that’s kind of how it stuck with me.
You go by your middle name is that just so you don’t get confused with your dad?
Honestly I really couldn’t tell you [laughs] it’s like just growing up, my parents always just called me Parker – they would say like, that’s just your sports name. And then when you go to school, all my teachers call me Christopher, so it’s kind of like just something that just stuck with me growing up.
Lots of people want to play college football, but most of them don’t. Was there a moment when you realized that playing football was a thing that was gonna be real for you?
It’s kind of weird because just playing Little League, and then middle school ball – I just love to play, it’s just fun. I never really thought about college, playing ball in college or even the NFL […] But when I first got to high school freshman year, I saw one of my teammates and he got a bunch of offers and I thought this might actually be happening for me. Then I got an offer my freshman year and I was like, this might be a thing for me. Let’s just stick to it and that’s what kind of gave me my motivation to keep going.
I remember when I was a freshman in high school and I did not have my life in order then. How is it to see your future in front of you but at the same time be you know – we all look back at being younger and go ‘Oh man, I was not ready for this.’ How do you kind of balance growing up and the opportunities that were in front of you?
I just took it one day at a time, just like a step-by-step process and that helped me keep everything organized so I don’t feel overwhelmed at times, or anything like that just. Just take that step by step process.
Sometimes when you’re so focused on your career or your passions you don’t always realize how far you’ve come. Was there a time last year you were able to step back and realize where you are in your journey?
Definitely I’ll say just playing in Beaver Stadium. Like, if you actually sit back and look and you’re like: Wow, I’m actually in this big old stadium. I felt like that kind of gave me that real realization of where I came from and where I am now.
What do you think you know about yourself, or football, that you didn’t know a year ago?
Um, I’ll say just like growth and like being able to overcome adversity. I feel like that’s a big, and I feel like now I’m much stronger mentally, and I’m ready to overcome more obstacles as they come in the future.
I remember sitting down with Saquon early in his career and one of the things that always surprised me – he knew how good he was but it didn’t seem to impact him, almost as if he was not aware of how good he was. Do you think you’re as good as people say you are?
[Grins, laughter.]
I’ll let you pump yourself up a little bit but you know, do you grasp it?
I would say just like from a confidence standpoint, I’ll just say that’s big, because it keeps me confident. Knowing you come into the game and you’re prepared, you’re excited to make plays. So I say it is more just having a lot of confidence, especially coming in from preparation and stuff like that.
You watch a guy’s high school film and sometimes it’s hard to tell how good he really is because you can’t really judge the competition. What was it like for you to have the success you did against various teams in the Big Ten, knowing that you were doing it against guys just as good if not “better” than you on paper?
It definitely is great because I feel like just from hard work – it allows you to be able to make those plays against those great, great opponents you’re playing. And I feel like it all just comes down to how you prepare, and I feel like that helped me a lot, and I always will stick to that, no matter what.
You and Jahan [Dotson] are both quieter guys. What is it like building a relationship with a guy when both of you kind of seem comfortable in that silence?
I would say we found that out about each other from just talking. I know we’re both quiet, but we might still have to lead at some point at the end of the day so we kind of embrace that. We built our relationship seeing our similarities so I feel like that’s a big key.
What do you feel like your personality is like on the field? Sometimes putting on that helmet can give guys an opportunity to be somebody else.
I’ll say I’m pretty enthusiastic on the field. I’m mostly still quiet though. It’s just like big plays or my teammates make plays. I get excited, I’m pumping them up stuff like that. But otherwise, it really doesn’t change. I’m still kind of quiet, just ready to make plays and just focus.
Last year was a strange year for everyone, and probably a strange year for someone to figure out campus life. Do you think that having thing back to normal makes for another adjustment year? Freshman year Part 2?
As far as on campus, I feel like I’ll be OK. I don’t feel like it’ll be too much of an adjustment. I know students will be back and kind of get that college feeling again but I feel like it won’t be too bad of adjustment.
Last year you got to spend more or less secluded from the media since freshmen don’t have to deal with us. But now pretty much whether you like it or not you’re going to be one of the faces of the program for as long as you’re healthy and playing at Penn State. What is that feeling like?
I mean, I’ll just have to just be willing to embrace that and just have fun and just keep doing what I do. I don’t need to change my personality or anything but just have fun with it.
What is next for Parker Washington?
Just keep growing, keep attacking each day with a mindset of what I want to do in the future as far as just being able to help my team the best I can.
Everyone has talked about the differences in having and not having spring practice the last year compared to now. How has that been for you?
You can just see how the relationship between us is different and how we could talk about stuff better and how we can all just easily be on the same page so I feel like that plays a big factor in success in the future. […] it gives you great memories because when success comes, then it’s like, wow you see where we came from.
