Malik Washington, Former Virginia Wide Receiver

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. Alrighty, this is that Gilb Show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Malik Washington spent 4 years at N and then he transferred over to Virginia, and he had a monster season in his final year in college football.

He led the nation in receptions with 110 of them, then had 1,426 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns, 10 games this year, breaking the 100-yard receiving mark, and he just put up monster results at the NFL Combine, and he's getting set to find out where his name is going to be called in the NFL Draft that comes your way in Detroit at the end of April. And Malik Washington is kind enough to join us on the Zach Gilb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Malik, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this. Congrats on all the success and how you've been. Of course, man, I'm happy to be here. It's kind of, you know, we're still in the process, that pre-draft process, so trying to figure everything out, take it from one day at a time, but I'm blessed to be here right now.

Well, thanks so much for coming on. So when you hear that you led the NCAA in receptions this past year, and that's how you went out with a bang, how did you kind of, you know, end up accomplishing those things this year, knowing the journey and all the hard work and all the changes that you've had to go through? Yeah, I mean, I set a lot of goals. I knew what I wanted and stuff in this process. Transferring over to Virginia, I kind of had, like, an idea, and of course, like, I just surpassed those ideas.

I surpassed those goals. I was able to do things, you know, I didn't even imagine myself doing, so it's a big credit to the people I was around, the coaching staff and the guys I was with that led me to this position. You look back at your season, I just said it a few moments ago, in 10 games this year, you broke the 100-yard receiving mark, so there was an incredible amount of consistency. When you're just in the zone like that, you know, midway through the season, towards the end of the season, when was it when you said, it doesn't matter who they put out there in front of me, I know I'm just going to find the way to dominate on the field? Yeah, so week two we played JMU and I went for, like, 119, and then I followed it up with Maryland. I had, like, 141, and I was like, all right, I'm starting to get to a point where if we just keep giving me the ball, I'm going to break 100 every single time, every single game, so I had a disappointing one versus Boston College. I had 97, so without that, you know, plus three yards there, that's 11 games over 100, that would have been everything, and that would have been, like, consistent 11 games in a row. So, I mean, I would say after Maryland, I kind of just assumed, like, if I got the ball, I was going to go for 100.

Talking to Malik Washington right now, so you just know how this process works. When you look back at what happened at Northwestern and now with what you did at Virginia, some people are going to say, well, is this just, like, a one-hit wonder? Why are you going to be able to translate this success that you had in your final season at Virginia to go on and have a solid NFL career?

Yeah, well, I don't understand the one-hit wonder notion or anything like that. I had production my junior and senior year at Northwestern. We didn't score a lot of touchdowns, so, like, of course, I didn't score a lot of touchdowns. I want to say, like, our leading receiver that had the most touchdowns had, like, two, maybe three, so it was like I don't really understand the notion of the production and all that stuff and the one-hit wonder. I think I've been excelling each or increasing each and every year, so from my junior year to senior year to this last senior year, it's been on a steady incline.

So as I enter the league, I just trust and expect that to continue on the trend. Was the combine, now you had big results, but leading up to the combine, was there just some natural stress there because, like, what I just said, people just look at the stats and then, you know, I've seen you play, so it's a little bit different, but sometimes people lose context and they just judge what you do at the combine. So was that time leading up to the combine a little bit stressful, knowing how much on the line for your stock it potentially did mean? Oh, my God, it was super anxious.

It was super stressful. Just knowing that I knew I had some expectations, especially being a guy from, you know, not big football schools and everybody's trying to figure it out, and then they're saying five-eight and all this stuff. So I knew I had to get in there, I had to go run, I had to run well, I had to jump well, I had to show off in the position drills and stuff like that. And, like, I didn't even, there was numbers that I wanted to hit that I just didn't hit and I know I can't hit, but all the nerves and all the anxious feelings come out when you're lined up on that white line, about to run your 40. So, of course, I'm proud of my showing there, but I know I could do so much better. Could you do better on the vertical? Because I saw that came in at a 42.5.

I don't know if I can do that. I really hit my mark there and I PR'd there. Yeah, I was going to say, I just saw that all on social media when you did your vertical jump. Everyone was just like, wow, it was the eyeball emoji that was just going all over social media. I think it was like the 98th percentile or something like that I read.

Yeah, I definitely hit my PR there. So let me ask you this then, as Malik Washington is here with us, just let the NCAA in receptions this past year. What is someone getting with you as a football player? Like if someone's never seen your game before, they end up drafting you coming up in April, if it's the second, third round, whatever it may be. What is a fan getting when their team drafts Malik Washington?

I mean, they're getting exactly what they want. An ultimate competitor, somebody that's going to fight, whether it's the first quarter or the fourth quarter, you won't even be able to tell if you cut on the film because that's just somebody that I'm going to show up every single play. I'm like a nat, man. I'm going to get hit. I'm going to go down. I'm going to get right back up and I'm going to be there all game.

So I think you're going to get the ultimate competitor. You're going to get someone who's going to show up for you. He's going to be consistent.

He's going to be reliable and someone that's going to move the sticks. And then that's a big part of the game. That's a big part of offense. Can you move the sticks? Can you get in the end zone?

I think I'll be able to provide that. When people say, hey, you're 5'8", you're too small. Does that just annoy you and motivate you? Because when I watch you play, you break tackles. You're more physical than what your size would suggest. And you also weigh in a little over 190 pounds. So as people have been telling you in life, oh, you're too short to play wide receiver. Did that kind of burn a little fire in your tummy and make you play a little bit angrier?

I've become tone deaf to the too short comments. Really, what gets me now is you're built like a running back. You ever thought about playing running back? That gets me, man, because I'm like, bro, I play receiver. I can run routes. I can catch the ball. I feel like I'm one of the best pass catchers there is in college football. So it's like, I don't want to hear you tell me that I should be playing running backs when running backs are known for not being able to catch the ball. So for me, it's getting over that hump of people saying you're built like a running back and all of this and that. I think, man, I'm just a football player. I go out there and make plays. And the crazy part is when you watch you, like I had to do a double take at the height. I'm like, he doesn't look like he plays like he's five eight.

You look like you play a lot bigger than that. Wrap it up with Malik Washington. So after the draft, like after the combine, excuse me, there's all these crazy projections. Like, you think you've solidified being a second round pick now because I see a lot of people saying, hey, you could be a second round pick. And then if you get them, you know, get Malik in round three, it's going to be a totally steal of the draft.

I mean, that stuff, it's so hard to keep up with, especially with the media. Some guys are going to like me. Some guys aren't. So on some guys boards, I'm going to be in the 56th round. And some guys, some people are going to be like, we got to get this guy in the second third round. So it's kind of up in the air. You never really know.

I especially don't know what NFL teams are thinking. So it's that's that's what make this process so long. So so nerve wracking and stuff like that. I won't find out until April 20. Was it twenty fifty, twenty seven something around there.

So it's it's a long process and I can't wait to see where I end up growing up as a kid. Who were some football players that you really loved watching? Who were some of your idols on the football field? I couldn't cut off Michael Vick. I couldn't stop watching all the miraculous things that he did just running the football. And I mean, I used to watch his his games like I would watch his highlights before I didn't play quarterback at the time, but I was watching his highlights just to see how to break tackles and stuff like that. I watch a lot of Tyrone Matthew, Steve Smith, a lot of Jarvis Landry guys like that. You know, if you put all those guys together, you get tough. You get you get an attitude that nobody else has and you get that competitive nature that I talked about a little bit earlier. I think those players really embody that and I had to look up to them when I was younger.

Who are some quarterbacks in the league right now that if you got drafted by that team, it would really excite you to be like, man, I can't believe I'm playing with with this or that quarterback. I think the coolest guy in the league. I watch his page, see how he dresses, all this type of stuff is Kyler Murray. Just I think he I think he's really cool. And what does he do?

Like he scrambles around. And I think that's I'm really good at being like improvising and getting open when the quarterback's in trouble and stuff like that. So I feel like I could be a good outlet. You also talk about Bryce Young is one of those guys as well. Guys that just I feel like, you know, kind of fit me in the shorter guys. Kind of know where I'm coming from, what I'm talking about over in the locker room and stuff like that.

Yeah. And both those guys, they're doubted like Bryce Young was the guy last year. Number one pick. They didn't have a good rookie season. Now, people are wondering what he could be as a quarterback. And Kyler, we're going to see a full year of him this season coming off the injury. So both those teams could use a wide receiver.

So it seems like it's a match to me. Yeah, that'd be really cool. Hey, Malik, I appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this. Good luck and hopefully we hear your name called nice and early in the NFL Draft at the end of April. Of course, man.

Thank you for having me. Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, where you can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models, like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1,500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now, during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon.

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