Fw*tele Korey Washington May Have Found "home"

[OldTimer]

Posted on Thu, Nov. 15, 2007r Receiver may have finally found home

By TROY PHILLIPS

Star-Telegram staff writer

DENTON -- For Korey Washington, it wasn't quite a case of what goes around, comes around. Close, but not quite.

As a slithery senior quarterback at Cedar Park High School, Washington and his team were on a collision course with Southlake Carroll in the 2004 state playoffs.

No one could catch Washington that year; he ran for almost 300 yards in each of Cedar Park's first two playoff games.

Despite seeing Washington play, then-Carroll coach Todd Dodge avoided him when Lufkin eliminated Cedar Park in the state quarterfinals. Washington still ran for more than 200 yards.

A few years later, Dodge met Washington as the latter's new coach at North Texas.

"I was a little bit surprised," Dodge said of finding out UNT played Washington at cornerback. "I would have expected him maybe to be a receiver or something else. It's been a good switch for us."

Dodge had a good memory and moved Washington to offense in spring practice, where the sophomore nailed down a starting job at inside receiver. His best game occurred Saturday against Navy, with four catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

UNT (1-8, 1-4 Sun Belt) plays at 6 tonight at Arkansas State (4-6, 2-4), looking to further spring Washington and its other receivers.

Former UNT coach Darrell Dickey had little need for a surplus of speedy receivers, making Washington's move to defense logical. He had played up to eight positions since the eighth grade on offense, defense or special teams. Finding a role for Washington wasn't difficult.

Dodge just saw there was more to get out of him.

"I've been everywhere," Washington, adding that in addition to Dodge and Dickey, he went through a few coaches at Cedar Park.

"We lost to Lufkin that year and didn't get to go see Coach Dodge at Carroll. We really wanted to experience that."

After a solid spring, Washington played catch-up in fall camp after arriving late from summer school. He finished his course work without a hitch -- some didn't -- and immersed himself with the other receivers.

He had a combined 14 catches against SMU and Florida Atlantic, but just one touchdown in UNT's first eight games.

Dodge made a slight adjustment to the offense before the Navy game, putting Sam Dibrell at outside receiver to move Casey Fitzgerald inside.

Washington and Brock Stickler rotated at the other inside spot.

Somehow it worked, with Washington eluding three tacklers for one touchdown and outsprinting Navy's defense for another.

On the second score, Washington showed the former track-relay burner in him.

"I ran track, but those days are long gone," said Washington, who had almost 3,000 total yards as a Cedar Park senior. "We run a lot, but nothing like those track guys. No more of that for me."

Dodge said Washington is the prototypical slot receiver UNT will continue to recruit.

"It might be a kid playing quarterback like Korey was," Dodge said. "When you rush for 250 [yards] on Lufkin, that's stout. He had a lot of wiggle to him."

ONLINE: meangreensports.com

UNT AT ARKANSAS STATE, 6 TONIGHT

Troy Phillips, 817-390-7760

tphillips@star-telegram.com

[flyeater]

Funny how high school/college football in this state is such a small community. Dodge sees this kid play while scouting another opponent, and then Washington falls in his lap at UNT. From memory, he realizes this is the same kid that torched people at QB a few years back and right then moves him to offense. Small world.

[jimmyjames_99]

How many off our defense from last year moved to the other side of the ball this year? Any starters?

[FirefightnRick]

That's just it, Corey wasn't starting on defense which was a waste.

Anyone here remember watching the video on him in the Kalk meeting room after we signed him? He was everyone's favorite coming out of that video session because he was so much faster than anyone else on the field. Then we hardly ever got to see him at all when he got here.

Rick

[flyeater]

How many off our defense from last year moved to the other side of the ball this year? Any starters?

Victor Gill moved from offense (TE) to defense (DE) and back to offense (TE again). Doesn't exactly qualify, but close. Draylen Ross (the huge scout-team kid from Fort Worth) has also moved twice. DD moved him from DE to TE, and he's back at DL, but I think DT this time. Santiago was also a DL under DD, but TD moved him to OL.

Damn, lots of abbrevs. in that post.