The last captain: Xavier meant the world to Otis Washington, and then suddenly it was gone

“Xavier,” afforded me basically everything I accomplished in life.”
OTIS WASHINGTON
COURTESY XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SPORTS INFORMATION

NEW ORLEANS -- For decades, Otis Washington’s ascent through Louisiana sports history ran parallel with resentment for his college sports home.

Washington distanced himself from the school that brought him to New Orleans from his hometown of Selma, Alabama; broadened his life experiences with road trips throughout the Southeast; gave him a reason to care about academics; and, during a period in U.S. history when many blacks — especially in the South — were disenfranchised, helped him land at St. Augustine High School, the start of his coaching saga.

All because of Xavier’s sudden decision in 1960 to disband all sports.

At the time, Washington, a junior, was a two-sport All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference athlete, playing guard and linebacker on the football team and catcher on the baseball squad.

The last captain on what became the final football team of 40. Men mostly forgotten.

“I was really kind of angry,” said Washington, a 2015 inductee into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame who lives in Baton Rouge.

t marked a quiet soreness, one that lagged for decades.

Even as Washington led St. Augustine to state titles in 1975, 1978 and 1979 and a runner-up finish in 1971, served as offensive line coach for one season under LSU’s Bill Arnsparger (1980), then moved crosstown in Baton Rouge as Southern’s head coach (1981-86).

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