Washington
“It was a really big struggle for him because he’d never been injured like that before,” Escobedo said. “And he’s a guy who loves being in the wrestling room. For him to not be able to practice for that long, he was hurting. We were constantly picking him up, telling him that things were going to be all right.”
Washington eased his way back over the summer and was given full medical clearance just two weeks before this season started.
Once he returned to Indiana’s wrestling room, he was reunited with plenty of familiar faces — but none more familiar than 125-pounder Jacob Moran. Also a 2019 Portage graduate, Moran has been wrestling with Washington since they were 6 years old.
“I was his first practice partner,” Moran said. “That relationship is something you can’t explain. Even if you take wrestling away, our bond is forever.”
Moran ended his junior season with a 23-15 record, but he and Washington are chasing more than individual accolades. They want to elevate the program to new heights by inspiring every teammate to continue on an upward trajectory at every practice.
“It’s that growth mindset whenever you walk in the room,” Moran said. “No matter if you’re DJ Washington, who made a world team, or if you’re a walk-on, you come into that room looking to get better as a person and as a teammate. That’s what we’re focused on: individuals taking care of themselves, allowing them to become better teammates and making us a better program.”
There are signs this approach is taking root. Washington is one of four Hoosiers who qualified for the NCAA Tournament — the most in five years.
“It’s just having faith that we’re doing the right things,” Washington said. “We had some team goals that we’ve hit this year, which felt good. But we’ve still got a lot coming.”
Washington also has a fresh perspective these days. Given his tribulations in the past year, he said he tries to prevent disappointing results from weighing too heavily on his mind.
“It takes the ego out of it all,” he said. “When you don’t perform your best, you still keep your head up.
“Back in high school, when I didn’t win a state championship, it was like it was the end of the world. But now it’s more like at least I still get to wrestle.”