Senior middle linebacker D’angelo Washington has been a given for Stevenson’s defense long enough that he could be taken for granted.
But Washington, who led the Patriots with 89 tackles as a first-time starter during his sophomore season, wasn’t always as comfortable at linebacker as he looked.
“In eighth grade and freshman year, I was actually on the D-line, but the coaches thought, ‘This kid is always around the ball,’ and wanted to see how I’d do at linebacker,” he said. “At first, I was scared of messing up, and that year I was very tense.
“Even at the end of the season, I felt pretty rough.”
That hasn’t stopped Washington from being pretty rough on opposing offenses. Last season, he racked up a team-high 92 tackles, including nine for loss, as Stevenson won a share of the North Suburban Conference title and reached the Class 8A state quarterfinals. With 25 tackles, four for loss and 2 1/2 sacks this season, he’s one of the main reasons the Patriots (3-1, 2-0) have allowed just 20 points over their past three games.
“He has an unbelievable nose for the ball, and he’s tough as nails,” Stevenson coach Brent Becker said. “He’s a tackling machine, but he’s such an unassuming guy. If you look at him, you wouldn’t guess that he’s done what he’s done. He’s just a great football player.”
Becker was referring to Washington’s 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame, which makes him smaller than most linebackers. Washington actually sees advantages to his size.
“I use my speed, which allows me a lot of times to get around blockers, and I use my hands to get blockers off of me as they engage,” he said. “It’s important that you stay low as a tackler, and I don’t have a problem doing that. I also try to have fun at the same time.”
A former defensive lineman, Washington knows he isn’t solely responsible for his success.
“I give a lot of credit to my D-line because they keep me clean all the time,” he said. “But I’ve gotten better as time has gone on, and my mentality has always been to do whatever I can to help the team.”
To get better, Washington went to work after his sophomore season.
“One thing that really helped was technique work, especially working on not taking any false steps,” he said.
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Getting acclimated to the varsity level along with fellow linebacker Caden Schultz, competing in track and field, and watching football also helped Washington.
“I loved watching football when I was a kid, and I love watching film of linebackers in the NFL now — guys like Mack Wilson Sr. (Cardinals) and Daiyan Henley (Chargers) – watching how they use explosiveness to get people down,” he said.
Given Washington’s preparedness, opponents will be hard-pressed to find him out of position.
“It seems like before a play even starts that he knows where the ball is going,” Stevenson senior safety Abai Atabekov said. “I feel like his grit and reaction time separate him from most others. He’s not scared of anybody, and I constantly see him go up against bigger offensive lineman and rip through them to make a tackle.
“To sum it up, he’s just a playmaker.”
Will a college team want a playmaker like Washington? Becker thinks Washington, who has heard from Illinois Wesleyan and Rockford, will find a good fit. But Washington accepts the fact that it might not happen and is focused on helping the Patriots win games.
“I would love to play in college,” he said. “That would be four more years of football. But I don’t want to jeopardize my studies for football. I think I have a realistic point of view that this might be the end.
“If schools want me, they can come find me. If I don’t find the right place, I’ll go to college and be a regular dude.”
For Stevenson, Washington is a regular fixture.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.