SEATTLE — Scottie Graham told himself he would do it before his 57th birthday. He made it by eight days.
Go figure: Washington’s running backs coach is an avid runner still, often posting his mileage and time on social media. The morning of March 20, though, was different. Graham awoke that day and decided he’d make good on his self-promise to run a personal half-marathon — 13.1 miles — for the first time.
He covered 13.13 miles, to be precise, in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 40 seconds, spurred on by a curated playlist featuring artists like Rachelle Ferrell, KRS-One, Rakim, Drake, J. Cole and Sade.
Around mile 10, Graham, who played tailback at Ohio State and for seven years in the NFL, said he FaceTimed his players to let them know he was nearly there.
“Just putting skin in the game,” he said after Thursday’s practice, “knowing that I hurt too, and I struggle. I think for me, being able to show I’m not a hypocrite, and I put the work in, bodes well for the young men in our room.”
He may have more reason than ever to lead by example.