Garrett Washington
Garrett Washington has compiled an outstanding athletic career in high school, prep school, college, and professional competition. He has also been very successful in teaching, coaching, and educational administration. He is a 1987 graduate of Chestnut Ridge High School, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football and track & field as well as a winter sport cheerleader his senior year.
In football, he was named to the Bedford Gazette All-County Football Team and the All-District Football Team his senior years, and he also played in the Ken Lantzy All-Star Football Game, where he scored a touchdown,
Washington was on the District 5 championship 400 relay team his junior and senior years and competed at the PIAA state championships at Shippensburg University both years.
After high school, Washington received a scholarship to attend a post-high school prep school program at Kiski Prep. He played football for legendary coach Chuck Klausing and was the top running back and team captain on a 9-0 undefeated team that won the Interstate Preparatory School League (IPSL) championship. Washington was named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player and named to the ISPL All-Star Team.
He also played basketball and ran track & field at Kiski.
Washington earned a full scholarship to James Madison, a Division I-AA school in Virginia.
At James Madison, Washington was a four-year letterwinner from 1988-91. He was a running back and linebacker during his college career. In 1991, he was the starting linebacker when the team went 9-4 and advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. James Madison beat the University of Delaware and lost to Samford.
Washington finished that year with 69 tackles (second on the team), 39 solo tackles, and one quarterback sack. He was a team captain that year.
He also wrestled his junior and senior years and was ranked third in Division I in Virginia.
In 1992, he played for the Charlotte Rage in the Arena Football League, where he played fullback and linebacker on North Carolina’s first professional football team.
Washington continued his studies at James Madison and received his education degree in the spring of 1993. After graduation, he received an offer to try out for the Minnesota Vikings. He was picked up on waivers by the Pittsburgh Steelers and received a try-out with the Steelers.
Washington took his talents overseas when he became a player/coach in France with Aix-En-Provence in the French Professional Football League. After the World Professional Football League had folded, some American players continued to play in the French League. Washington was one of three Americans on the team, and he played linebacker. The team went 9-2, but Garrett said that is was quite an experience playing in a foreign country, but playing totally under American-style rules of play.
Washington returned to the United States in 1995, went to work in sales for two years, and enjoyed the birth of the first of his three children. He then embarked on a teaching and coaching career that has developed into an administration career.
Here is a brief resume of his 18 years in education and coaching:
1997-98 - Teacher in Clinton County, Pa., and Assistant Defensive Coach at Lock Haven University. He continued his playing career in 1998 with the Johnstown Jackals in the Indoor Football League, but suffered a torn Achilles tendon, ending his professional football career.
1999-2000 - Teacher and Head Junior High/Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Chestnut Ridge High School.
2001-2003 - Teacher and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Cheyenne Mountain School District in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His teams went 11-2 in 2001, where the team reached the state semifinals, and 9-2 in 2002, where the team reached the state quarterfinals.
2004 - Teacher and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His team went 11-2 and reached the state semifinals.
2005 - Worked in construction in Pennsylvania due to a family situation.
2005-2010 - Teacher at Allegheny Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh.
2010-2012 - Teacher and Head Varsity Football Coach and Head Varsity Track & Field Coach at Miami Yoder High School in Rush, Colorado.
2012 - Present - Dean of Students at Aurora Middle School in Aurora, Colorado. He works with student discipline, programs, and student/teacher relations. He assists with the junior high wrestling program. He has public relations program where he works with several professional sports teams in Colorado; Avalanche, Rockies, and Broncos. The athletes go to the schools and work with Colorado students in promotional and exercise programs. Washington is also a political activist for the Aurora Educational Association and meets with city and state government systems on behalf of teachers in the setting of local and state educational policies. He resides in Colorado Springs.
Garrett Washington has compiled an outstanding athletic career in high school, prep school, college, and professional competition. He has also been very successful in teaching, coaching, and educational administration. He is a 1987 graduate of Chestnut Ridge High School, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football and track & field as well as a winter sport cheerleader his senior year.
In football, he was named to the Bedford Gazette All-County Football Team and the All-District Football Team his senior years, and he also played in the Ken Lantzy All-Star Football Game, where he scored a touchdown,
Washington was on the District 5 championship 400 relay team his junior and senior years and competed at the PIAA state championships at Shippensburg University both years.
After high school, Washington received a scholarship to attend a post-high school prep school program at Kiski Prep. He played football for legendary coach Chuck Klausing and was the top running back and team captain on a 9-0 undefeated team that won the Interstate Preparatory School League (IPSL) championship. Washington was named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player and named to the ISPL All-Star Team.
He also played basketball and ran track & field at Kiski.
Washington earned a full scholarship to James Madison, a Division I-AA school in Virginia.
At James Madison, Washington was a four-year letterwinner from 1988-91. He was a running back and linebacker during his college career. In 1991, he was the starting linebacker when the team went 9-4 and advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. James Madison beat the University of Delaware and lost to Samford.
Washington finished that year with 69 tackles (second on the team), 39 solo tackles, and one quarterback sack. He was a team captain that year.
He also wrestled his junior and senior years and was ranked third in Division I in Virginia.
In 1992, he played for the Charlotte Rage in the Arena Football League, where he played fullback and linebacker on North Carolina’s first professional football team.
Washington continued his studies at James Madison and received his education degree in the spring of 1993. After graduation, he received an offer to try out for the Minnesota Vikings. He was picked up on waivers by the Pittsburgh Steelers and received a try-out with the Steelers.
Washington took his talents overseas when he became a player/coach in France with Aix-En-Provence in the French Professional Football League. After the World Professional Football League had folded, some American players continued to play in the French League. Washington was one of three Americans on the team, and he played linebacker. The team went 9-2, but Garrett said that is was quite an experience playing in a foreign country, but playing totally under American-style rules of play.
Washington returned to the United States in 1995, went to work in sales for two years, and enjoyed the birth of the first of his three children. He then embarked on a teaching and coaching career that has developed into an administration career.
Here is a brief resume of his 18 years in education and coaching:
1997-98 - Teacher in Clinton County, Pa., and Assistant Defensive Coach at Lock Haven University. He continued his playing career in 1998 with the Johnstown Jackals in the Indoor Football League, but suffered a torn Achilles tendon, ending his professional football career.
1999-2000 - Teacher and Head Junior High/Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Chestnut Ridge High School.
2001-2003 - Teacher and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Cheyenne Mountain School District in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His teams went 11-2 in 2001, where the team reached the state semifinals, and 9-2 in 2002, where the team reached the state quarterfinals.
2004 - Teacher and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His team went 11-2 and reached the state semifinals.
2005 - Worked in construction in Pennsylvania due to a family situation.
2005-2010 - Teacher at Allegheny Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh.
2010-2012 - Teacher and Head Varsity Football Coach and Head Varsity Track & Field Coach at Miami Yoder High School in Rush, Colorado.
2012 - Present - Dean of Students at Aurora Middle School in Aurora, Colorado. He works with student discipline, programs, and student/teacher relations. He assists with the junior high wrestling program. He has public relations program where he works with several professional sports teams in Colorado; Avalanche, Rockies, and Broncos. The athletes go to the schools and work with Colorado students in promotional and exercise programs. Washington is also a political activist for the Aurora Educational Association and meets with city and state government systems on behalf of teachers in the setting of local and state educational policies. He resides in Colorado Springs.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2015
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2015