James Washington Needs Just 175 Yards to Become Oklahoma State’s All-Time Leading Receiver

There won’t be many people in attendance at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday for Oklahoma State’s senior day against Kansas. Not as many as usual, anyway. OSU is 8-3 and likely headed for the Camping World Bowl in December. Not the cherry on top of the careers of James Washington and Mason Rudolph we were hoping for.

But the ones that are there could see an all-time record broken. A record I didn’t believe would ever fall. From 2000 to 2003, Rashaun Woods gained 4,414 yards at Lewis Field and all over Big 12 country. He gained yards in two OU wins and many, many yards in a Cotton Bowl appearance against Ole Miss.

Looking back on it, Woods’ feats are even more remarkable than they were in the moment. Why? Oklahoma State threw the ball an average of just 383 times a year while he was there. That’s about 32 attempts a game. They average around 6-8 more throws a game these days, and I always figured if somebody was good enough to come close, he would leave before having a chance to break the record in his senior year (i.e. Justin Blackmon).

But here we are, 213 receptions into James Washington’s career (that’s 79 fewer than Woods, by the way). The President needs just 175 yards in his final two games to catch Woods and surpass him. That’s pretty remarkable, and I feel like the entire thing has kind of flown under the radar a little bit.

“It never crossed my mind that I could break that when I got here,” said Washington. “Every time I step on the field, I just try to do my job. My coach always says, ‘You do your job and good things happen.’ This is just one of those good things.

“It would be nice to break it. Whatever I’m able to do and however I’m able to help is the best way I can assist my teammates. Kasey Dunn has been a lot of help. He’s taught me a lot since high school. We’ve gotten close over the years that I’ve been here, and he’s one of the greatest guys I know, on and off the field for all types of advice. I look up to him.”

Mason Rudolph, who has thrown the lion’s share of those 217 receptions to Washington, reflected on Tuesday about their connection for the last four years.

“We made a lot of plays from the beginning of our careers together,” said Rudolph. “He started playing earlier than I did, but a lot of good memories, a lot of deep touchdowns, exciting moments in different stadiums around the conference, but I’m excited for Saturday and then the bowl game, as well as our future.

“James is … always working hard and he always treats every single rep in practice like a game rep and that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to put pressure on yourself in practice just like in the game, so the game ends up being easier. He’s done a lot of good things, and he’s worked hard every single year, never dropped off. He never loafed, he was always an example for the younger guys and kind of brought the culture along here at Oklahoma State.”

And now he’s on the precipice of one of the most impressive records in school history — 4,414 receiving yards over the course of a four-year career. That’s remarkable, and I hope he breaks it the way he started it — with a deep bomb from No. 2 that ends with Bullet doing laps and fans doing this.

One last time.