Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

Ted Washington is widely considered one of the most dominant defensive linemen in school history, as well as one of the biggest.

Washington weighed in at well over 350 pounds for much of his career, but that didn’t hinder his production. He spent most of his college career as a starter and made a name for himself in the 1990 season helping catapult the Cardinals program to new heights.

In the 1990 season, Louisville finished the year with a dominant victory against Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl, but they never would have been there if not for Washington.

In a game against San José State, Washington broke through on two drives to block would-be game-winning field goals and keep a tie. A loss at San José State would have doomed the rest of the Cards’ season, one that ultimately went on to be a program-defining year that put the program on the map.

Washington finished his Louisville career with 298 tackles and 14 sacks. He catapulted to future stardom on the back of a strong senior season.

After his college years, Washington played in the NFL for 17 years with six different teams. He won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2003 and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He finished his NFL career with 603 tackles and 34.5 sacks.