He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1991 NFL draft.
He also played for the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Cleveland Browns before retiring after the 2007 season.
[4] Also notable for his longevity, Washington was a starting nose tackle, one of the most physically demanding positions in football, until the age of 39.
As a senior at the University of Louisville, Washington had 76 tackles, seven sacks, and three blocked field goals, and was a 2nd team All-South Independent selection.
[6] He made his NFL debut at the New York Giants on September 2 and finished the season with 21 tackles and one sack.
In an ESPN Magazine article,[7] McLean said that numerous 49ers humiliated him during his stint with the team, including one who made a habit of grabbing him from behind and simulating rape, saying, "Get over here, bitch.
The following season, he was again selected to the Pro Bowl after finishing the year with 101 tackles and 4.5 sacks, which was a career high.
In his first season with the Bears he started in 15 games recording 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks and was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl.
His second season with the Bears was ruined by injury as he only started in two games before being placed on injured reserve after suffering a fractured leg and torn ligament in his left foot.
Washington was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2004.
During the first play of training camp with the Browns in 2006, he was supposedly the one who injured the newly acquired all pro center LeCharles Bentley which was later denounced but when questioned about the incident he yelled at the reporters "It wasn't me who did it, I'll go see how he's doing later.
[citation needed] In 2012, Washington was a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2013.