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In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers went back-to-back with Oklahoma State players. In the second round, they selected wide receiver James Washington, in the next, they got his college quarterback Mason Rudolph. The two, in the preseason, are connecting once again, throwing it back to their Cowboy days.
.@Rudolph2Mason ➡️ @JamesWashington
Former @CowboyFB teammates connect for the @Steelers TD! #TBvsPIT
📺: @nflnetwork
Watch on the NFL app: https://t.co/PUjPEgbtkN pic.twitter.com/1MnZ46qRBb— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2019
Rudolph entered the game after two drives from Steelers backup Joshua Dobbs, Washington started. In his first drive, Rudolph went 3-for-3 for 29 yards and the touchdown. He found Washington twice, for a total of 19 yards. The touchdown was Washington's fourth reception of the game; before then, he had caught a 43-yard, and 22-yard passes from Dobbs.
Rudolph and Washington proved to be a dynamic duo in their Oklahoma State days. Both played sparingly in their freshman seasons, then started from their sophomore years until they were seniors.
In a span of three seasons, Rudolph completed 866 passes (63.6% completion rate) for 12,765 yards and 86 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. In 2017, Rudolph won college football's Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation's best senior quarterback, and was named as a second-team All-American. An impressive college resume, to say the least. He didn't play as a rookie behind Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and Dobbs.
At Oklahoma State, Washington was Rudolph's top target. In that same three-season stretch, the wide receiver caught 198 receptions for 4,016 yards and 33 touchdowns. In 2017, Washington also racked up accolades. He finished his senior year as the Biletnikoff Award — for the nation's top receiver — and was a unanimous All-American.
It's fair to say Rudolph and Washington were a dynamic duo in college; now, they are attempting to be the same at the next level with the Steelers.
