OAKLAND – When Ellijah Washington, decked out in a crisp purple-and-white Castlemont jacket and an Oregon State hat, signed his name on the dotted line, he was doing more than officially committing to the Pac-12 program on Wednesday night.
He was keeping a promise that he had made his father – and coach – Ed Washington before starting his freshman year at the Oakland public school.
After Ed had driven his eldest son to different private schools, with the option to attend any of them, Ellijah decided he wanted to prove that a kid from East Oakland could go from a local public school to a major college football team.
“This shows that it can be done,” Ellijah Washington told the Bay Area News Group. “A lot of people thought it couldn’t.”
At some schools, signing day ceremonies featuring major college programs is the norm.
Not at Castlemont. Washington is the first student-athlete from the East Oakland high school in recent memory to commit to a college of Oregon State’s caliber.
“The grit and the grind at Castlemont, there’s nothing like it,” Washington said. “Coming here taught me a lot, and I don’t think I would’ve gotten that experience at any other school. So this night is truly something special to me.”
OAKLAND — People gather in the Castlemont media center. Castlemont wide receiver Ellijah Washington signed with Oregon State on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
Ed had joyful tears in his eyes as he watched Ellijah talk to his now-former teammates gathered in Castlemont’s media center after the ceremony.
“Oh man, I’m crying and stuff,” Ed said. “I’m just happy, and I’m happy everyone came out to support him. That’s crucial, because we want to set an example for the other kids.”
While Ed donned an identical letterman jacket to his son, Ellijah’s mother Jasmine Washington was decked out in a bright orange Oregon State shirt.
“We are so excited for Ellijah, and are just ecstatic that he set his goal and then reached his goal,” Jasmine said. “He has a great head on his shoulders, and we think he’s more than capable of completing the task at hand.”
The all-Oakland Athletic League wide receiver will graduate high school early and begin attending college classes in early January.
Ellijah’s great-uncle Ron Muhammad gestured to the room filled with family and friends as he implored the young man to not forget his roots.
“When you go, you represent more than just yourself,” Muhammad said. “Young blood, you’ve got a huge opportunity.”
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