As the Falcons continue looking for someone to return kickoffs, they have a special weapon. Coaching intern Leon Washington knows a thing or two about taking it to the house.
He returned eight kickoffs for touchdowns in his nine-year career, mostly with the Jets and Seahawks, tying Josh Cribbs for the NFL record.
Twice the part-time running back made the Pro Bowl as a return man, and he was tabbed first team All-Pro in 2008, when he went for 1,231 kickoff return yards and added 303 on punts.
After rookie Calvin Ridley ripped off a 34-yard return on the opening kickoff last Friday against the Chiefs and added an 18-yard return later, head coach Dan Quinn was quick to credit Washington, who is helping special teams coach Keith Armstrong this summer.
They’re looking for a replacement for former return man Andre Roberts, who became a free agent after last season and is now with the Jets.
Ridley never returned a kickoff at Alabama, and fellow candidates Marvin Hall, a wide receiver who bobbled a kickoff against Kansas City, and rookie running back Ito Smith, who bobbled two, aren’t exactly old hands.
Wide receivers Justin Hardy and Reggie Davis are also getting looks.
“He’s done an excellent job with us,” Quinn said of Washington. “He was a fantastic return man . . . To have another guy’s guidance in that spot is good.”
The Jets drafted Washington in the fourth round in 2006 out of Florida State, where the running back was the first player under former head coach Bobby Bowden to score five ways: by kickoff return, punt return, rush, reception and fumble recovery.
He put up numbers in the NFL, too, totaling 2,271 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, 1,286 receiving yards and four touchdowns, 1,793 punt return yards and 7,553 kickoff return yards with eight more scores.
That’s why he’s in Flowery Branch.
“I’m just in a position to come and share my knowledge of the game, especially in the return game, giving these young guys something to look at, some of the things I learned,” Washington said. “I think everyone at this level has a gift athletically. Mentally, it’s trying to give the guys an advantage about how to approach the return game.
“For example, you get to the stadium knowing the wind, knowing the kicker and how he approaches the ball. ... Knowing the team’s coverage, how they want to cover you. All those small nuances, small details, help you be one of the best returners in the game.”
Washington played for New York from 2006-09, and Quinn was on the Jets staff in 2007-08.
When he played for Seattle from 2010-12, Quinn was on the Seahawks staff his first year, and had an up-close view when Washington returned two kickoffs for scores in a game against the Chargers.
Washington split the ‘13 season between the Patriots and Titans, and finished playing in ‘14 with Tennessee.
In all, he returned 292 NFL kickoffs, or a whole lot more than all Falcons returners combined. So, he’s quite the coaching caddy.
“It’s just good for the guys to hear it, to get it reiterated by a guy that’s done it, so he’s a good source for the guys to lean on,” Armstrong explained. “I love it because we’re speaking the same language.”
Smith returned 26 kickoffs while playing for Southern Mississippi, mostly as a freshman and sophomore. He scooped up both bobbled kickoffs against the Chiefs, and then returned for 23 and 10 yards.
Hall, who last returned kickoffs in 2012 as a freshman at Washington, retrieved his bobble and went for 17 yards. Hardy returned three kickoffs for the Falcons in 2016, and none in college.
They’ve all spent time studying film with Washington, and some of it has been video of his good old days.
“Oh yeah. He’s like, ‘This is a good one right here,’” Smith said of Washington popping in tape of himself. “He’s just teaching all us the little tips, like how to read the kicker, his approach. ... He teaches us how to jump the ball and catch it going forward.”
Soon after Washington applied to the NFL’s Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship program, Quinn tracked him down.
“Once I reached out and found out he was interested, that was kind of the end of the interview process for me,” the head coach said. “I know what he stands for as a teammate and a man.”
Washington’s experience helps him connect with young players, and at 35 years of age, he’s not far removed from playing.
“With Calvin, with Hardy, with Marvin, with Ito Smith . . . all those guys are willing to do it,“ he explained. “Demonstration is kind of the best teacher. Me not being too far away from the game, those guys can relate. They’ll say, ‘Hey coach, I played with you on Madden.’ Geez, I’m not that old.”
They all have plenty to learn, and Quinn said Ridley’s role with offense won’t affect his eligibility to return kickoffs. “He’s definitely going to have a significant role on offense, but his role also is to create explosive plays and if that’s either way we’d certainly consider that.”
Ridley’s making an impression.
“He’s got vision, he’s got feel. He’s a natural returner,” Armstrong said. “He’s not a guy who pats his feet. You know how it is in this league; the hole opens and closes quick, and he’ll hit it.
“I’m excited about him back there as a returner. He saw it and read it the right way, and made the proper cut. ... He just ran up there, read it, made the cut, boom!”
While the Falcons’ returners are learning on the job, Washington may be learning a new job.
Quinn said, “It didn’t (take) long to realize not only does he know the information, but he’s able to teach it and explain it. Not all good players can just automatically become good coaches because you have to explain what you’re seeing.”
Washington sounds the part of a coach.
“Absolutely,” he said. “In 2016, I did an internship with the Jacksonville Jaguars under the Bill Walsh internship (program) so I’m using this platform to help me continue to network and build my relationships, and hopefully one day I’ll be coaching in the NFL.”
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