© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Steelers wideout James Washington had 44 receptions for 735 yards and three TDs last season. James Washington has found a home on the range during this NFL offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver opened up this week about buying his own farm in Merkel, Texas, and how the manual labor has helped him lose weight.
"As far as lifting, the other day I was trimming trees around here and I don't know if I ever felt my lats burn as much as they did when I was trimming trees and moving big old logs and stuff," said Washington, according to Teresa Varley of the team's website.
"For sure nature is giving me the best workouts. They may not think I am working on football, but I think some of it translates. I am still running. I am out in the country, so I go on bike rides, too. I am getting conditioning, working on the legs at the same time. I ride seven or eight miles. You may have one or two cars pass you, but you may see more cattle than people."
Washington, who grew up on his family's farm in Texas and majored in agribusiness with a focus on farm and ranch management in college, said he recently weighed in at 205 pounds after being listed at 213 last season.
"I am lighter than last year. I am feeling pretty light," he told Varley. "I feel like it will help with the quick twitch. Especially that second gear when the ball is in the air. In general, just being lighter is good. At the same time, I have been working on strength. I haven't lost any muscle. I am just getting everything back together and just trying to stay healthy, especially at a time like this when you have to stay healthy."
Washington, 24, is coming off a 2019 season in which he caught 44 passes for 735 yards and three touchdowns. With QB Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury next season and JuJu Smith-Schuster entering the final year of his contract, Washington will have even more to prove in 2020.
As for Washington's workout program of choice this offseason, we do know of one former Steelers player who would definitely approve.
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