At 28, Nate Washington is still young. In the eyes of his colleagues who play receiver for the Titans, he’s old.
And he welcomes that fact.
According to David Climer of the Tennessean, Washington wants to be the leader of the unit.
“It’s kind of funny to be the old man in the room,” Washington tells Climer. “I’m very blessed to be here this long, looking forward to another season and having these guys looking to me for leadership.
“I accept that responsibility. I’m very proud to say that I am the guy they look to. I like having that leadership role.”
With 74 catches last season, Washington has the numbers to get the attention of players like Kenny Britt and Kendall Wright. And perhaps Washington can show them how to go about sticking around as long as he has.
“It seems like just yesterday I was in there making fun of Hines [Ward] and all those guys that were in their eighth or ninth year in the league,” Washington said. “You look at them and say, ‘Man, they’ve been around a long time.’ Now I’m in that situation.
“I’m sure some of these guys look at me and wonder how you stay in the league so long. The funny thing is, I don’t think of myself as one of the old guys. But I guess I am.”
His maturity may at some point require him to accept a diminished role, especially once Britt fully recovers from a torn ACL and once Wright shows that he can perform at a high level.