Mizzou Football: Ten Best NFL Careers of All-Time

Best Tigers to Play in the NFL – Number 4: Russ Washington

NFL Defensive Tackle and Offensive Tackle from 1968-1982

It’s a little more difficult to validate how good Russ Washington was in the NFL due to the lack of stats that exist during his time in the pros. Why I ultimately ranked Russ Washington in the top four was that he was able to play a variety of different positions throughout his 15 year career.

Washington was a first-round draft pick in the 1968 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and spent the duration of his career there.

As I mentioned above, Washington had spent time at different positions and was initially drafted as a defensive tackle. In his third season as an AFL pro, Washington was moved over to the right tackle spot and that’s where he stayed for the rest of his career.

Washington was a durable guy along the line and started every single game every year from 1971-1979. He was also voted to five Pro Bowls and was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in 1995.

While the stats are hard to find on offensive linemen, Washington had a long career with the same team, which absolutely makes him one of the best Mizzou players in the pros of all-time.