HarveyWallbangers
03-23-2007, 02:44 PM
Packers assistant returns from cheering on son at NCAAs
Green Bay Press Gazette
MILWAUKEE — If everything went according to plan, Lionel Washington would have been asking Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy for a few more days off.
Washington, a Packers assistant coach, spent last weekend at the NCAA tournament in Columbus, Ohio. He was cheering for his son, Deron, a high-flying forward for Virginia Tech.
Deron Washington’s late bank shot helped the Hokies rally for a two-point victory over Illinois in the first round March 16, but Virginia Tech lost to Southern Illinois on Sunday.
Washington, who doesn’t get to see many of his son’s games in person, said he was a nervous wreck watching him perform on such a big stage.
“Oh, man,†Washington said. “It is nerve-racking. My stomach was in knots. I felt like I was out there playing.â€
Assistant coaches’ schedules remain hectic even in the offseason, but Washington said McCarthy is “very understanding†when it comes to giving them time to attend family events.
He was hoping Virginia Tech would advance farther in the tournament, giving him a chance to test just how flexible his boss could be.
“I was hoping I’d have to come back and push McCarthy about one more time,†Washington said, with a laugh.
With his busy schedule during the season and Green Bay’s distance from Southwestern Virginia, Washington usually has to settle for watching his son on his basement television.
“I get every package known to man,†Washington said.
And if the game isn’t on TV, Washington says he’ll go out to his garage and sit in his car to listen to a satellite radio broadcast.
Actually, he said, it’s probably best that he’s alone when the games are on.
“So I can yell and curse by myself,†Washington said.
Deron Washington was the Hokies’ second-leading scorer and leading rebounder as a junior this season. But at 6 feet 7 inches with impressive leaping ability, he’s best known for his acrobatic dunks — including a widely replayed slam over Duke’s Greg Paulus in an upset victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium in January.
“He does some amazing and freaky things,†Washington said.
Deron Washington played high school basketball at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay. But he didn’t get any national notice until he played for an Amateur Athletic Union team in New York and East Coast coaches got a look at him.
He transferred to a private high school, National Christian Academy in Maryland. The move helped him get noticed at Virginia Tech — and, his father said, helped him learn to live on his own.
Deron Washington has matured even more at college. His parents aren’t together any more, and his mother, Denise, moved to Blacksburg, Va. to be closer to her son after losing her home in Hurricane Katrina.
Washington said his son’s close relationship with his family says a lot about his character.
“I think he really grew up,†he said.
With his son already thinking about an NBA career, Washington advised him to get in the gym and start working harder now.
“He’d like to play on the next level, but I told him it’s going to take a lot more,†he said.
But it’s more important — at least to Washington — that his son graduate and take advantage of his college experience.
“The most important thing is to finish school, and develop relationships with different people,†he said.
Green Bay Press Gazette
MILWAUKEE — If everything went according to plan, Lionel Washington would have been asking Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy for a few more days off.
Washington, a Packers assistant coach, spent last weekend at the NCAA tournament in Columbus, Ohio. He was cheering for his son, Deron, a high-flying forward for Virginia Tech.
Deron Washington’s late bank shot helped the Hokies rally for a two-point victory over Illinois in the first round March 16, but Virginia Tech lost to Southern Illinois on Sunday.
Washington, who doesn’t get to see many of his son’s games in person, said he was a nervous wreck watching him perform on such a big stage.
“Oh, man,†Washington said. “It is nerve-racking. My stomach was in knots. I felt like I was out there playing.â€
Assistant coaches’ schedules remain hectic even in the offseason, but Washington said McCarthy is “very understanding†when it comes to giving them time to attend family events.
He was hoping Virginia Tech would advance farther in the tournament, giving him a chance to test just how flexible his boss could be.
“I was hoping I’d have to come back and push McCarthy about one more time,†Washington said, with a laugh.
With his busy schedule during the season and Green Bay’s distance from Southwestern Virginia, Washington usually has to settle for watching his son on his basement television.
“I get every package known to man,†Washington said.
And if the game isn’t on TV, Washington says he’ll go out to his garage and sit in his car to listen to a satellite radio broadcast.
Actually, he said, it’s probably best that he’s alone when the games are on.
“So I can yell and curse by myself,†Washington said.
Deron Washington was the Hokies’ second-leading scorer and leading rebounder as a junior this season. But at 6 feet 7 inches with impressive leaping ability, he’s best known for his acrobatic dunks — including a widely replayed slam over Duke’s Greg Paulus in an upset victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium in January.
“He does some amazing and freaky things,†Washington said.
Deron Washington played high school basketball at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay. But he didn’t get any national notice until he played for an Amateur Athletic Union team in New York and East Coast coaches got a look at him.
He transferred to a private high school, National Christian Academy in Maryland. The move helped him get noticed at Virginia Tech — and, his father said, helped him learn to live on his own.
Deron Washington has matured even more at college. His parents aren’t together any more, and his mother, Denise, moved to Blacksburg, Va. to be closer to her son after losing her home in Hurricane Katrina.
Washington said his son’s close relationship with his family says a lot about his character.
“I think he really grew up,†he said.
With his son already thinking about an NBA career, Washington advised him to get in the gym and start working harder now.
“He’d like to play on the next level, but I told him it’s going to take a lot more,†he said.
But it’s more important — at least to Washington — that his son graduate and take advantage of his college experience.
“The most important thing is to finish school, and develop relationships with different people,†he said.