‘I’m proud of him’: Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington has a career day against Ohio State
Penn State may not have won against Ohio State on Saturday, falling 44-31, but wide receiver Parker Washington played like a winner.
Two days ahead of Halloween, Washington carved up the Buckeyes defense like a pumpkin. He had 11 receptions for 179 receiving yards and a touchdown. Penn State head coach James Franklin was complimentary of his play — including the entirety of his career.
“He’s made plays really his entire career here,” Franklin said. “He is a contested catch guy; he’s got the ability to make him miss. He’s a really good route runner and has been productive. He had some opportunities tonight to make some plays, he made those plays. Obviously, I got a ton of respect for Parker and the type of player that he is.”
The sophomore wideout’s first reception came on the Penn State 35-yard line with a 4-yard reception. He followed up with quarterback Sean Clifford hitting him up the middle for an 11-yard gain for his second catch of the first quarter. Washington ratcheted up his performance in the second and third quarters, making seven catches between the two periods.
His biggest grab was a 58-yard touchdown with 11:13 on the clock in the second frame — a play where he curled back toward the ball and burst past the secondary to find the end zone. He finished the game with two more receptions in the fourth quarter for a 26-yard gain and a 9-yard gain respectively.
Washington had 30 receptions for 388 receiving yards and a touchdown entering the game. While his numbers weren’t eye-popping, the sophomore wide receiver has proven to be someone that Clifford can confide in as a safety net. Clifford told Washington before the game that he “was definitely going to give him his shots.”
That he did.
“(I was) going to put it up there and (Ohio State) is a man team,” Clifford said. “I knew that we were going to have our chances. So, I told Park(er) and I said, ‘Hey man. Big players make big plays in big games. That’s you.’ I thought he really took that to heart and worked really hard this week with a majority of guys. With Parker being the leader in the room, I thought that he stepped up in the moment and made those plays. I’m proud of him.”
When it came to making a big play to score against Ohio State, Washington just wanted to stay in the moment.
“(It’s) about staying present and locked-in and understanding what I came in to do, executing and that’s how I can help our team,” Washington said. “In that moment, I had to help my team to keep that drive moving.”
Tight end Theo Johnson has watched Washington build on his craft since Day 1 at Penn State. The duo entered the program in 2020 during a year of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic looming large over the season. Johnson watched Washington work hard — building from a sure-handed possession receiver to a deep threat and someone who can make a big play out of nothing.
That type of reliability is something Johnson has come to expect from Washington, especially this season.
“I think it helps when you can move the ball down the field and kind of get those big chunk plays and those those routine plays,” Johnson said. “I think he’s been doing a really good job for us and I think it gives our offense spark for sure.”
