Life after the NFL can be an adjustment.

But for former Georgia defensive end Cornelius Washington, the transition has been smoother than he ever could have hoped.

A former four-star performer, Washington started in 25 of the 51 games he played for the Bulldogs, recording 76 tackles and 10 sacks, before the Chicago Bears took him in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Washington would play three years with the Bears, followed by a two-year stint with Detroit before his release in August of 2018.

However, at only 30 years old, Washington wasn’t content to just sit around. Instead, he began the goal he set for himself back when he played football for the Bulldogs: to become a college athletic director.

As the Recruiting Communications Coordinator for the Washington Huskies, Step 1 in that journey is now underway.

“I’ve always wanted to stay around football,” Washington said in a telephone interview with UGASports. “When I was at Georgia, my degree was sports management, because I wanted to be an AD later on. So to me, this was that good first step to get my foot in the door to start that whole process, to learn under Jennifer Cohen (Washington AD), be around a good AD and learn as much as I can.”

His first foray into the administrative side of football should help Washington decide how to proceed up the ladder to athletic director.

“For right now, that’s the plan and the goal, but honestly, it’s something I’m still trying to figure out right now,” Washington said. “With the transition out of the league, I’m still just figuring things out. I’ve only had this job since late August. I do like it. I enjoy being around the guys, but I don’t know if it’s the ultimate goal for me. I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Washington admits it’s a bit ironic that he’s now helping the Huskies and first-year head coach Jimmy Lake with their recruiting efforts in the Pac-12.

A former four-star performer, Washington was a highly-sought recruit, and one of the most genetically gifted athletes to sign with Georgia in recent memory.

Even at 6-4 and 220 pounds, one of Washington’s claims to fame prior to getting to Athens was the fact he ran the 100-meter dash in a mere 10.94, something he still jokes about with players today.

“I don’t know if they believe me,” said Washington, who weighed 290 when he retired from the NFL. “I wish I had some film.”

Although he doesn’t possess any film, Washington’s good-natured personality remains, and it’s that vibe that helps him in his job with the Huskies.

“My official title is recruiting communication coordinator, but for the most part, it's just reach out and build relationships with the guys, get to know them as well as I can,” Washington said. “One thing that’s big here is, we want to fit the recruit as much as we want the recruit to fit us. It’s just trying to make sure you do all your homework and make sure the players you’re going after are guys who actually want to be here, and are guys that we want. That’s my job. I’m more on the relationship side of things, as far as getting to know people.”

For Washington, it’s a natural fit, although there’s always something to learn.

That’s especially true when you’re talking about college recruiting and adhering to all the rules.

“I can talk to guys for sure, but with the landscape of recruiting these days, things have changed a lot even since I was in high school,” he said. “Things were just so much different as far as the amount of time you can talk to these kids—all the different ways you can talk to them. It’s been a little of a learning curve for me, things I didn’t know.”

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made those lessons even more difficult.

“It’s been a process. I’m still learning. The rules are an adjustment, especially with right now with this COVID thing. The rules are adjusting,” Washington said. “We just had a meeting with our head person with what’s allowed with the Zoom calls, and just how everything is going to transition during this time period. And when it’s over, how is it going to transition back? It’s been a fluid cycle here.”

How Washington wound up on the West Coast is a story in itself.

Longtime friend Josh Murphy, who Washington knew in Athens and who recalled the player's career goals, reached out to Washington when word of the job became available.

The rest, as they say, is history. According to Washington, the timing could not have been better.

“It really came to me, like, right in time. I was in that time period of actually wondering what was going to come next,” he said. “I’m praying about it and everything, so when I got that call out of the blue, I just took it as a sign.”

As for the future, Washington said time will tell.

“I definitely hope to be at a major university, I don’t know in what role, so for me it's up. I don’t see myself going backward in any type of way,” he said. “I’m just going to do everything I’m supposed to do as far as learning this job, doing everything I can, figuring out ways to apply things in different little ways, and after this, go to a place that wants me and can use me.”