NY Giants Receiver Corey Washington Learning to Become 'Special'

The NFL preseason can be an unsettling period for a young, undrafted rookie.

On one hand, the stats a player accumulates don’t mean a thing; on the other hand, what a player does in the preseason often means the difference between landing on an NFL 53-man roster and hitting the waiver wire.  

No one knows this better than New York Giants receiver Corey Washington, the Giants’ 6’4”, 214-pound rookie out of Newberry College.

A Summertime Sensation

Washington, who was claimed off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals on May 29,  finished the 2014 preseason as the Giants’ leader in receptions (10), receiving yards (155) and touchdowns (four).

His production, while coming mostly against competition that, unlike him, is no longer on an NFL roster, was still impressive.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Washington who took 109 preseason snaps, finished tied for the 10th-highest overall grade among NFL receivers (with Denarius Moore of Oakland and Adam Thielen of Minnesota).

A closer look at Washington’s preseason numbers shows that he caught 76.9 percent of the balls thrown his way, averaging 15.5 yards per catch.

His reception percentage was the third-best in the NFL this preseason of all receivers who took at least 60 percent of their team’s preseason snaps, according to PFF's stats.

Despite his production, Washington currently finds himself in a curious situation.

Following the season-ending foot injury suffered by Jerrel Jernigan, the Giants' No. 3 receiver, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said the team will turn to Preston Parker, a four-year veteran who was out of football last year, to fill the void.

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"(Parker) will have that opportunity," Coughlin told reporters. "He's very quick. He's played before; he's got a good attitude. He is a tough guy, and hopefully, he'll make a strong contribution."

Why choose Parker, whose preseason production in 142 snaps, according to PFF, saw him catch eight of 16 pass targets for 119 yards and one touchdown (with one drop), ahead of Washington?

“(Washington) has to continue to improve as a special teamer,”  Coughlin said. “That’s where he can really help us right now.”

The Quest to Be Special

Washington, just 22 years old, is a soft-spoken young man who certainly doesn’t lack confidence or swagger. 

That’s why he admitted it is something for him to be patient with the process that most rookies—especially undrafted players who are already on their second NFL team as he is—go through as they try to carve out their niche. 

Fortunately for Washington, he has a special mentor in his corner—a guy who knows all about coming in as an unheralded player and who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be “special” on special teams.

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That mentor is David Tyree, one of the heroes from the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl championship team.  

Unlike Washington, Tyree was a draft pick, chosen in the sixth round in 2003 out of Syracuse.

However, when one gets to the sixth and seventh round of the draft, oftentimes there is not that much separating those players from their undrafted counterparts.

Tyree almost found this out the hard way. 

After a bumpy start to his professional career that saw him arrested on March 4, 2004, Tyree told me for Inside Football that from that night onward, he resolved to turn his life around.

He did just that by first cleaning up his life off the field and then by plunging himself into perfecting his craft as both a backup receiver and as a special teams ace.

His hard work and dedication resulted in a 2005 Pro Bowl berth and his being named a first-team All-Pro.

Those lessons that Tyree, hired this July as the Giants’ director of player development, followed in perfecting his craft are the very same ones that he is sharing with Washington. 

“It feels good,” Washington said about the bond he has formed with Tyree. “He saw something special in me. He saw that I can do what he was doing out there plus more. It's a good opportunity for me with David taking me under his wing.”  

Patience is a Virtue

Even though he’s a rookie, Washington is no different than any other player.

He believes that he can be a difference-maker—if given the opportunity.

At the same time, he knows that those opportunities won’t be gift-wrapped and left on his locker stool.

Still, he admits that being patient can be a challenge, especially when his confidence in himself is stable enough for him to understand his limitations yet realistic to the point where he believes that, if given that chance, the reward will far outweigh the risk.   

“It’s something that’s out of my control,” he said of the coach’s decision not to play him ahead of Parker. “All I can control is my attitude and how I work, so I’m just going to sit and wait for my chance.”

Having patience is just one area where Tyree’s guidance has been a big help to Washington.

“He told me that as a rookie I probably won’t see as much offense as a receiver,” Washington said. “My goal is to stay on a team by working hard on special teams, having that dog in me, fighting every day and working to help the team win games.”

From Tyree, Washington has also learned about the little nuances that it takes to be a professional.

Every night, he plunges into the playbook on his team-issued iPad, on which he also studies film of both himself and of the opponent as though he is going to start that weekend.

He has also become more vocal in terms of speaking up and asking his teammates for help both at the facility during meetings and practices and via the wide receivers’ daily group text chat.

Then there is the matter of Washington soaking up every bit of advice Tyree might have abut playing special teams. 

“He works a lot with me on special teams, especially as a punt-gunner,” said Washington, who also holds spots on every special team except the field-goal kicking unit. 

No matter what the role, Washington said Tyree’s message to him is consistent.

“Have that dog in me,” he said. “Always go out there with an attitude not to hurt anybody but to be aggressive and be great at what I do and to continue to work at my craft.”

Waiting to Receive  

Besides special teams, Washington knows there are other things he can improve in his game to earn snaps as a receiver.

Two things that Washington mentioned were among his priorities include getting in and out of his breaks on routes and learning to better fight off jams. 

Not only is he progressing in those areas, he's also found a way to manage the balance between his special teams work and his work as a receiver, something that some young players struggle with as rookies.  

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“It’s really not that overwhelming,” Washington said. “Once you know the concept, it comes easy.”

He smiled when asked if he was also trying to learn how to replicate Tyree’s most famous reception, the one in which he caught the ball against his helmet in Super Bowl XLII.

“No,” he said, smiling. “I’m gonna try to get (the ball) with my hands.”

When he does get his opportunity to get the ball, be it with his hands or perhaps unexpectedly against his helmet, Washington’s objectives are simple.  

“I want to prove to (the coaches) that I can make plays and light up the scoreboard,” he said. “I want to show that I’m a playmaker.

"I think I’ve shown that in the preseason, but in this league, you have to be consistent. So that’s what I’m trying to do, so that when my chance does come, I’m ready to contribute.”

Patricia Traina is the senior editor for Inside Football. All quotes for this article obtained firsthand. Follow me on Twitter, @Patricia_Traina.