Florida State’s Mike Norvell Says Darius Washington Is a ‘Key Figure’ on the Team
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The No. 4 Florida State Seminoles are on a roll, starting the season 5-0 with big-time wins over Clemson and LSU. The 'Noles are a far cry from years in the past and have elevated themselves to one of the top teams in the country with National Championship aspirations.
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One of the key contributors who has helped hold it all together is offensive lineman Darius Washington. The redshirt junior has 30 career starts, hasn't allowed a sack all year, and is one of the highest-graded players on the offensive line.
"There are no words for what he does, and the investment that he makes because it's hard," head coach Mike Norvell said to the media after Tuesday's practice. "If you play center at all, you've got an extreme workload, and obviously, he's done that, and he's gotta be ready for that every week."
The coaching staff takes pride in having their offensive line able to play any position so it's no surprise that he's made an impact on the team. Norvell said that Washington embraces the challenge.
"Then also to be able to play on the right side and the left side, all of the matchups, it's an extensive challenge, but it's one that he embraces."
Last week's 39-17 win over Virginia Tech was one of his highest-graded games of the season which earned him ACC Player of the Week Honors. Florida State's offense averaged 7.8 yards per carry, rushing for 282 yards on 36 attempts.
"That's one of the key figures of our football team through the first five games. Even when guys are down, he's been able to step in," Norvell said. "Just his versatility has really done wonders for us and allowed us, in some challenging moments, he's kinda held it together for us."
The Seminoles will take on the Syracuse Orange this Saturday at noon and a lot of the offensive success will rely on Washington, wherever he lines up.
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