 Washington with the Chargers c. 1982 | |||||||||
| No. 85, 70 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 17, 1946 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | August 5, 2021 (aged 74) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 289 lb (131 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Southeast (Kansas City, Missouri) | ||||||||
| College: | Missouri | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1968 / round: 1 / pick: 4 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Russell Eugene Washington (December 17, 1946 – August 5, 2021)[1] was an American professional football offensive tackle who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1982, playing his first two seasons as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the first round (4th overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers.
Washington was noted for his size (6 foot 6 inches, close to 300 pounds) and durability. A one-team player, he played in 200 games for the Chargers, including a 148-game streak as their starting right tackle that lasted over a decade. A strong player on a weak team throughout much of his career, his only playoff appearances came in his last four seasons. During this time he was part of an experienced offensive line that played a key role in the record-breaking Air Coryell passing attack.