Star running back Joe “Little Joe” Washington, standing 5'9", attended Lincoln High School in Port Arthur, where he served as class president. His father, Joe Washington Sr., was the team’s head coach. With his brother Ken at quarterback, the Washingtons led Lincoln to an unbeaten regular season in 1971, highlighted by a major victory over Port Neches-Groves and their All-American running back Jeff Bergeron. Although “Little Joe” grew up a University of Texas fan—he used to salute when Darrell Royal’s TV show aired—his high school sweetheart attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, so Joe chose to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. He later joked that he knew Darrell Royal wouldn’t have allowed him to wear his trademark silver shoes.

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Called “my greatest player” by Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer during his induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Washington made an immediate impact. During his first scrimmage in 1972, his first carry went for an 80-yard touchdown. That season, he rushed for 630 yards, all from scrimmage. In 1973, he improved to 1,173 rushing yards, establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier backs.

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Following his junior year, Washington earned spots on every major All-America team, including the AP, UPI, NEA, Football Writers, Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News, and Football News. He rushed for 1,321 yards, added 512 yards on returns, and scored 14 touchdowns. He was named the Pigskin Club’s Player of the Year and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. Washington’s finest collegiate performance came on October 19, 1974, against Colorado, when he rushed for 211 yards on 19 carries (an average of 11.6 yards per carry) and scored four touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team All-American and finished fifth in Heisman voting his senior year. His Oklahoma teams won back-to-back national championships in 1974 and 1975.

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Transitioning to the NFL, “Little Joe” was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1976 as the fourth overall pick. He was traded to the Baltimore Colts in 1978, where he played through the 1980 season. In 1979, he led the NFL in receptions with 82 catches and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

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Washington then joined the Washington Redskins, playing from 1981 through 1984. In one of his most memorable performances—before a national audience on Monday Night Football—he threw a touchdown pass, caught another, and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score, all in the fourth quarter. Howard Cosell famously called it one of the finest Monday night performances ever.

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Washington remains the only NFL player to accomplish that unique feat in a single game. He is also the only player in Redskins history to lead the team in both rushing and receiving in the same season. In 1982, he helped Washington capture the Super Bowl championship. He retired in 1985 after spending his final season with the Atlanta Falcons. “Little Joe” Washington is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and is also enshrined in the Museum of the Gulf Coast Hall of Fame. He is the author of The 7 Secrets of the Silver Shoes.