One high school offensive lineman is bringing the old adage that everything is bigger in Texas to the football field.
Byron Washington, a junior at Texas high school powerhouse DeSoto, has gone viral after a photo of him playing in Saturday’s Texas state football championship took the internet by a storm. Listed at 6’ 7.5” and 380 pounds on his 247Sports profile, Washington absolutely towered over everyone, including the 6’ 4”, 215-pound pass-rusher he blocked in the now-viral picture during Saturday’s game.
Whew #txhsfb #UILState @FootballDesoto pic.twitter.com/xQY4NWbdcH
— Matt Stepp (@Matt_Stepp817) December 17, 2023
Washington, who is a three-star recruit with offers from the likes of Texas, Oregon and TCU, has to be one of the biggest high school football players ever. According to Ari Wasserman of The Athletic, Washington’s remarkable growth started in sixth grade, when he grew six inches in a month. That put such a severe strain on his body that he had to undergo emergency surgery to prevent his growth plates from collapsing. He had metal rods put in his legs to straighten them out for additional support and had to go through multiple years of physical therapy, but now is fully healthy and is a rapidly emerging star on the recruiting trail.
Went To Jerry’s, But We Took Over The World 💍 pic.twitter.com/314dDZs9fM
— Byron A. Washington (@ByronWash25) December 18, 2023
The photo wound up being rather emblematic of the game itself, which saw DeSoto beat Summer Creek 74–14 after leading 46–7 at halftime. It also produced plenty of commentary on the internet, who couldn’t believe how much bigger Washington was than his opponent.
The kid being manhandled by DeSoto’s Byron Washington is listed at 6-4, 215 pounds… 🥲 https://t.co/SHgt7oPYki
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 18, 2023
What A Sports Photo https://t.co/HHNQM8uabq
— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) December 17, 2023
It looks Photoshopped but it’s not. https://t.co/ya5a2XqDjG
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 18, 2023
We need this guy, he can play guard and tackle at the same time https://t.co/QSpEfxYOib
— BlackSheep (@WayneHawg) December 18, 2023
Death. Taxes. A Texas UIL championship game featuring a player who probably could have started college ball two years ago. https://t.co/TmBPKO9mHg
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 18, 2023
This might be the most comical sports photo I’ve ever seen. https://t.co/IRizQgDN61
— Andrew Hammond (@ahammALDC) December 17, 2023
