Dewayne Neron Washington (born December 27, 1972) is an American former football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a first-round pick (18th overall) in the 1994 NFL Draft from North Carolina State University. He is currently the head football coach at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Amateur years Washington played high school football at Northern High School in Durham, North Carolina, where he earned All-American honors from Sporting News, SuperPrep, and USA Today in 1989. After high school Washington attended North Carolina State, grabbing 3 interceptions his junior year. As a senior, Washington led the team with 4 interceptions, and also recorded 66 tackles (51 solo) as a co-captain. Professional career Minnesota Vikings Dewayne Washington started all 16 games for the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie in 1994. Washington recorded 75 tackles (69 solo), and had 3 interceptions for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie. Dewayne Washington was named defensive rookie of the year by College and Pro Football Weekly and earned All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly and Pro Football Writers of America. The Vikings won the NFC Central Division with a 10-6 record, but lost in the first round of the 1994 NFL playoffs. In 1995, Washington played in 15 games, recording 62 total tackles (57 solo), and had 1 interception for 25 yards. Washington only missed 1 game in his career. For the next 10 NFL seasons, he did not miss a game. He played in a total of 191/192 possible regular season games during his 12-year career. In 1996, Washington recorded 75 tackles (72 solo). He had 2 interceptions for 27 yards and a touchdown that year. In 1997, he had 84 tackles (74 solo). He had 4 interceptions that year for 71 yards, but no touchdowns. Washington was a starter for a Vikings that entered the 1997 NFL playoffs as a wildcard team, upsetting the New York Giants in the first round before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs. Pittsburgh Steelers On February 25, 1998, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Dewayne Washington as an unrestricted free agent. 1998 proved to be Dewayne's best season in the NFL. In his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington had 93 tackles (82 solo). He had 5 interceptions for 178