When looking at the situation with running back Maurice Washington, your first question might be, "what was the final straw?"
Nebraska officially parted ways with Washington on Friday after multiple suspensions this season and a pending legal situation in California, where he faces possible felony and misdemeanor charges.
When I size up the situation with Washington, it wasn't just one thing that led to the break-up. It was a combination of everything.
From showing up late to team meetings, being caught with possession of drug paraphernalia in a UNL dorm building, to the handling of his current legal situation in California (Washington was apparently unreachable in December to participate in his most recent court hearing over the phone).
As head coach Scott Frost said back in October, there comes a point where you have to just "throw your hands up and say we tried."
And Nebraska tried everything to help this young man. They were the only major program willing to go through the work to get him academically eligible.
They also provided him the help necessary to get through his current legal situation, and stuck behind him when a lot of outsiders were critical of the decision.
Did Washington's immense talent play a factor in this? Absolutely. He possessed a skill set very few had. He could change a football game on one play, and we saw him do it a few times at NU.
He almost single-handily won the Huskers the Colorado game earlier this year, and in 2018, he stepped in for the injured JD Spielman at Iowa and had 102 yards on seven catches in his first-ever game as a receiver.
When Washington showed up to campus in August, he was an immediate difference-maker in practice, despite not lifting a single weight or eating a single meal at the training table.
When you see somebody with that type of talent, who had as tough of an upbringing as Washington, you take a few chances.
Frost thought being in a structured program like Nebraska would get Washington's life on track. Maybe it would instill discipline and a respect for authority.
Unfortunately, that never happened. I believe the breaking point were the Northwestern and Minnesota games. Against the Wildcats, Washington bounced several runs outside that were called inside. Then against the Gophers, the staff challenged Washington and said they were building the game plan around him with quarterback Adrian Martinez out that day.
Washington finished with just seven offensive touches for 25 yards. That was the last we ever saw of No. 28 in a Husker uniform.
The question now is will he ever get another opportunity? As long as he takes care of his current legal situation, I have no doubt a Group of Five school will give Washington a chance. He's a program-changer at that level.
However, because he's played two years of college football already, he can't turn towards the junior college ranks. He must attend another four-year college.
Hopefully, this entire situation will serve as a wake-up call for Washington. A lot of good people went out of their way to help this young man, and you never got the impression he truly appreciated any of it.
