Denzel Wasington and Football

Anytime I can combine my two favorite things, movies and football, I feel especially lucky. It seems that Denzel Washington's son is vying for a spot on an NFL team. Denzel, star of one of the most overlooked movies of last year, Man on Fire, can cheer for his son to catch on somewhere in the very late rounds of the draft, almost certainly on day two--if at all.

Doesn't it sound like a movie? Son of famous Hollywood actor plays football, spurning the Hollywood scene, earning his own millions and his own fans. The father, angered by his sons career choice in what he considers a barbaric and plebian sport, eventually learns to love the game, respect his son and befriend the kind hearted coach who helped bring them together again. Hmm, maybe it sounds more like a Banderas movie now that I think about it--with the contrived shlock he's been putting out lately.

Anyway, the story:

DENZEL'S SON HOPING TO LAND IN THE NFL

One of the little-known facts regarding this year's crop of draft-eligible players is that the pool includes the offspring of a two-time Oscar winner.

Running back John David Washington, the son of actor Denzel Washington, has been training in Florida for the past several weeks, with an eye toward running again for scouts on April 22. John David Washington attended the UCLA pro day workout without any formal training in running the 40 and generated a number in the high 4.6 range. He has since been working with a trainer, and he expects to post a number in the low 4.5s the next time around.

Washington, a four-year starter at Morehouse, was named in 2005 to the first-team all-SIAC conference squad. As a sophomore in 2003, Washington broke the school's 25-year-old single-game rushing record with 241 yards on 33 carries.

Morehouse is in the same conference as Tuskegee, which has produced several NFL draft picks in recent years. Most notably, cornerback Drayton Florence was selected in the second round by the Chargers in 2003.

Denzel Washington's latest film, Inside Man, was directed by Spike Lee, who also went to Morehouse. In 2000, Washington starred in one of our all-time favorites, Remember the Titans, a football flick that also featured the dude from Scrubs, the hilarious Randy from My Name is Earl, and the guy who looks like Nick Sorensen of the Jaguars.