Overlooked to Atlanta Falcons, Casey Washington Still Carries 'Chip on My Shoulder'

Atlanta Falcons sixth-round receiver Casey Washington is no stranger to having the odds stacked against him.

Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Casey Washington / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

When Casey Washington was navigating through the recruiting circuit during his playing days in Texas at Pflugerville High School, he had little idea how to get started.

Washington’s father, Greg, played receiver at Kansas State from 1987-89, but the recruiting process changed considerably within the 30-year timespan.

So, the younger Washington was confined to watching his friends get recruited — until his mom, Jennifer, found all of the recruiting camps at nearby colleges.

Washington showed up to the events motivated to prove himself and often left the venues feeling he’d left it all on the line, but he didn’t feel validated.

After one camp, he checked Rivals’ rankings and saw he received just a 2-star grade. Dejected and disappointed, Washington went back to work.

He received his first offer from Houston Baptist assistant head coach Shannon Kelly, and several others eventually followed, including Kansas, South Alabama, Tulane and UTSA.

But Washington ultimately fell in love with a head coach whom he met through a camp held June 16, 2018, at Texas A&M Commerce — then-third-year Illinois boss Lovie Smith, formerly the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later the Houston Texans.

Washington’s offer came the next day, and he received a full-ride a month and a half later. With that, the undervalued and overlooked Washington suddenly found his future home.

“It’s created a huge chip on my shoulder,” Washington said.

That chip was recreated during the 2024 NFL pre-draft process, when Washington didn’t receive an NFL Combine invite and sat idly by his television for over four hours on the draft’s final day.

But with the No. 187 overall selection, Washington’s dreams were realized, as the Atlanta Falcons made him one of their three sixth-round picks.

Washington’s heart dropped after the phone call — perhaps it was the stress of the day, or the process, or even his football journey. Regardless, in his eyes, he finally reached a point of validation.

“This is just the start of something new,” Washington said. “This is another journey I’m going to start. I’m grateful – good, bad, or indifferent – just for my journey.

“That chip on my shoulder from those high school camps and college, it’s still there, and I think that’s what I’m most grateful for.”

Washington met with all 32 teams at the East-West Shrine Bowl but held a private visit with the Falcons.

After getting to know the members of Atlanta’s staff, Washington said he was excited about the possibility of a potential pairing.

Still, the draft process, as he said, is “crazy” — and entering the third and final day, he had no idea where he’d end up.

He saw other teammates get drafted and how real the event was. When it was his turn, emotions poured out. He said thereafter it all felt like a dream and anticipated tears later that night.

But gratitude for the opportunity is mirrored by excitement to work with Morris and enter an environment he feels confident is well-suited for personal growth as much as professional.

“When you meet a good person, you know it, and the interactions we had, nothing was forced, nothing was fabricated – it was just straight up,” Washington said. “I really appreciated that, and coming full circle to now, being able to say I’m an Atlanta Falcon, it’s extremely surreal.”

Washington enjoyed a successful pre-draft process during which he recorded a vertical jump of 39.5 inches and clocked a 4.46 40-yard dash at 6-0, 200 pounds at his pro day.

His strong testing numbers continued the wave of momentum he fostered in his final college game, when he caught nine passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns against Northwestern.

Among Big Ten receivers, Washington ranked ninth in receptions with 49 to go along with 670 yards and four scores in 2023. His career tally shows 122 grabs for 1,508 yards and four touchdowns across 50 games, 22 of which were starts.

But for Fontenot, evaluating Washington’s skill set starts with his vertical explosion — and Atlanta’s fourth-year general manager believes the once-forgotten wideout is a “prototype” at the position.

“Size, speed — he has measurables, he has traits,” Fontenot said. “We spent time with him. We love the makeup. Plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's a competitor. We know he'll be able to contribute in other areas as well.”

One such area is special teams, where Washington is more of a projection than a proven commodity.

Across five seasons in Champaign, Washington played only 46-total special teams snaps — 16 on kick returns, 15 on kickoff coverage and another 15 on punt coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.

But the Falcons are confident Washington can make an impact in the game’s third phase. Otherwise, Fontenot said the team wouldn’t have drafted him.

“We're not going to draft a receiver in the sixth round and not believe that he's got to be able to go down on kickoff and go down as a gunner,” Fontenot said. “They'll have to do those things to be able to make the team.”

Given the chance to provide a scouting report of himself, Washington focused on his character, not his play style.

He said he wants to be a part of a reciprocating process of getting people better, a mentality he plans on bringing inside the walls of team headquarters in Flowery Branch each time he arrives.

“Just a good teammate,” Washington said. “Obviously, I’m a competitor, and I’ll compete every day to help us win, but I’ll always be a good teammate. I’m just trying to be the best me, the best Casey Washington, as possible — on the field and off the field.”

Washington hails from Round Rock, Texas, some 15 minutes outside of Austin. He’s not particularly well-versed with Atlanta, though he’s seen a few Instagram reels of some greasy food options, which he said he needs to find.

But apart from his desire to find local restaurants, Washington is focused on helping the Falcons change their reputation — a far cry from the downtrodden car rides home after low rankings and unfruitful recruiting camps.

“Just to still be here, still standing, I’m faced with another opportunity, a great opportunity,” Washington said. “I can’t wait to be a Falcon and get this thing rolling.”