Patriots' TE Reveals Odd Summer Internship

Most players take the time after OTAs to enjoy some much-needed R & R, but New England Patriots tight end Scotty Washington had other ideas.

This summer, Washington used his time off from football to work an internship with the UFC in Las Vegas. Washington has been UFC fan since his freshman year of college and even has interest in a post-football career with the organization, so taking a step towards that goal was a can't-miss opportunity.

"I had met Dana (White) in March when I was out there for an event after the season. Obviously, he's a big Patriots fan" Washington said, per the Patriots' website. "I just told him, I want to play as long as I can in the NFL, but when I'm done playing football, I want to be able to do something with the UFC in some capacity. I've been a fan for so long."

Washington specifically worked with the athlete development department after White, UFC's president, invited him to Vegas when he had the chance. As fate would have it, Washington's internship ran through UFC's International Fight Week on July 3-9, the sport's biggest week of the year. Washington described the experience of working on the big week as "eye-opening," and said it gave him a new perspective on working in the sports industry.

"I got a greater appreciation for everything that happens behind the scenes, for sure, because we're just so used to being catered to," Washington said. "We just show up and everything is already taken care of. It was humbling to see all the moving parts that go into a business like the UFC or the Patriots. It was really fun. I had a good time, met a lot of great people, and made a lot of good connections."

The crowning moment of Washington's internship may have been meeting his favorite fighter, Israel Adesanya. The Nigerian fighter is a two-time UFC Middleweight Champion, yet despite his lengthy list of accomplishments, he remains a very down-to-Earth person. Washington described the legendary fighter as "one of the nicest, most humble guys I ever met," and says that experience was a delight through and through.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed Washington as an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest in 2020, although he spent his entire two-year tenure with the team on the practice squad. New England claimed him on waivers last August, and he finally made his regular-season debut on Christmas Eve, against Cincinnati no less. Washington played 22 snaps in that game, and while he had no receptions of his own, he did have a memorable moment when he batted the ball to receiver Jakobi Meyers for a 48-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots liked Washington enough to keep him around, signing him to a futures contract on Jan. 10. As long as he's in New England, there's little question who the biggest UFC fan in the locker room is.

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