Lem Wash resurrects football career after reuniting with his brother, Miles, at SIU

CARBONDALE, Ill. — A year ago at this time, Lem Wash was sure his football career was over. The former high school Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas had endured three frustrating seasons as a backup quarterback at Tennessee Tech and South Dakota.

So before the 2024 season even began at South Dakota, Wash turned in his cleats and focused on a future outside of the game of football.

Then one day last fall, his dad called. Marcel Wash reminded his son of all the good times he had playing football with his younger brother, Miles. Why not give football one more try? Reach out to Miles and his coaches at Southern Illinois and see if they’ll take you in? Maybe even try a different position?

Lem thought about it, talked it over with his brother, and determined to give it a shot.

First, he had to convince SIU’s coaches to offer him a chance. Wash told them he’d walk-on, play any position they needed, including special teams, and happily start at the bottom of the depth chart.

Head coach Nick Hill granted him the opportunity, and Wash joined the team last January. Assigned to the running backs room, Wash then had to learn a new position and convince the staff during spring ball that he was worth keeping around.

Incredibly, Wash not only made the roster, but as a powerfully built 5-foot-10 ball carrier, has earned a spot in the running back rotation, with multiple carries in every game this season. Averaging 4.2 yards per carry, he’s especially dynamic in short-yardage situations. Here’s his incredible comeback story.

StrongDawgs Conversation with Lem Wash

SD: What is your earliest memory of playing football with Miles?

LW: Our dad came home from work one day when I was six years old and told us we had a football practice. I’m a year-and-a-half older than Miles, so we’re extremely close. We went everywhere together, whether it was football, school, you name it. Our whole family just referred to us as “the boys” because we were always together.

Lem and Miles Wash

SD: How competitive were you with each other?

LW: Extremely competitive. My parents will laugh when they hear this story, but there was a time Miles beat me at one-on-one basketball, just because I let him. I got so mad, I punched a hole in the wall, which my dad made me pay for.

SD: Why did you let him win? Did you feel he needed a little bit of confidence?

LW: Well, I knew he wasn't a basketball player, so I just let him shoot. I'm thinking, he's eventually gonna miss, and he didn't miss. He got to game-point, and I’m like, no way he's going to make it, and for the fourth time in a row, he did.

SD: What are some of your favorite memories with your brother?

LW: I would say the best memories I make with Miles are probably right now, playing football together, getting to live together by choice, getting to do stuff that we're just thinking of on our own, like going to see a movie together, playing video games, just being together all the time making our own memories.

SD: Talk about your remarkable high school career.

LW: I was actually more of a basketball player early in high school. I was the backup quarterback going into my junior year and I was starting on the basketball team, so I thought basketball would be my route, and I was going to want to focus on that. My dad was big on keeping my options open, do whatever it takes to earn a scholarship. Then our starting quarterback got hurt my junior year, I got the opportunity to play and it just took off from there.

Lem (24) and Miles (44) Wash

SD: What were your college options coming out of high school?

LW: My only Division I offers were Missouri State and Tennessee Tech. Because of COVID, I wasn't allowed to go on any visits, so I had no idea what either of those places looked like, how a game-day atmosphere felt, even what the coaches looked like in person.

SD: Talk about your career at Tennessee Tech, where you played in seven games during the span of two seasons (2021-and 2022).

LW: My first year, I was expecting to be the backup to Bailey Fisher, but he went into the transfer portal. Also, the coach that recruited me, Coach (Jeff) Herron, left the team to coach at a high school, so I had no idea what was going to happen. I was just praying and hoping for the best, but I played the last four games of the season and was really confident in my progression as a passer. In my exit meeting with the coaches, based on what I showed in those four games, I was led to believe I was gonna be the guy. This is gonna be my team when I come back.

However, we got a new offensive coordinator, who brought in a guy that he previously coached. He was a really great player. Then I ended up breaking my throwing hand right after we played UT Martin, which put me out the rest of my second season. After that season, they informed me it would be best if I hit the transfer portal, because they'll be bringing in more transfer quarterbacks and it'll be hard for me to get back in the mix.

SD: How'd you land in South Dakota, and what was your experience like there?

LW: I was in the transfer portal for six months. I didn't have too much game film, and Tennessee Tech wasn't known as a real good FCS football program at the time. I had to go to South Dakota for them to watch me work out and throw.

Overall, South Dakota was a great experience for me. I really loved the people there. Football-wise, it just didn't work out for me. I was a dual-threat quarterback behind Aiden Bouman, who was more of a pocket-passing quarterback.

Wash had to convince SIU's coaches to give him a walk-on spot.

SD: What was your status at South Dakota for the 2024 season?

LW: I was at a point where I was really struggling with a lot of things going on, so I decided it would be best if I just take the time to step away from the team.

SD: Did you think you might be done with football?

LW: In my mind, I was done for good. I was working two jobs. I was an assistant guidance counselor at Vermillion Middle School, and I was a youth development professional at the local Boys and Girls Club. I truly I thought I was done at that point.

SD: What changed that made you decide to give football another try?

LW: My dad called me and brought up the idea of walking on at SIU and playing with Miles. He said, at least have your last experience of football be something good to remember, playing football with your brother. I wasn't really interested, but as time went on, I started talking to Miles more often, and he kept preaching to me, saying he would love for me to come here and play together one more time. That's when I decided, alright, I’ll give it a shot.

SD: I understand you lobbied pretty hard last January for the chance to play at SIU.

LW: It was a crazy process. The only number I had at the time was Coach Hill’s, and he’s a pretty busy man, but I was calling him 24/7. I was constantly telling him that I understand I’ll start off at the bottom of the depth chart, there's no scholarship money involved, all I want to do is help, no matter what that is. Miles kept talking me up, too. It took a lot for me to get here.

SD: How did you end up playing running back?

LW: I told them, just whatever I can do to be on the team and help, I’ll do. Whether that was defense, running back, special teams, whatever they wanted, I was willing to do. When I walked in the building, I asked coach, what position are you going to have me at? He told me running back, and I was like, okay. I just rolled with it from there.

I came in and met up with Coach (Larry) Warner to learn as much as I could and work as hard as possible in the offseason workouts, hoping to get an opportunity to get on the field in spring ball.

SD: You were basically re-booting your career?

LW: Yes. I had to put my ego to the side. I knew I was gonna be the last guy to get every rep, and there might be some practices where I get no reps at all. I knew that as a walk-on, they can just use me as a practice dummy and cut me at the end of spring ball.

Wash celebrates his first touchdown run at SIU.

SD: What adjustments did you have to make, going from quarterback to running back?

LW: As a quarterback, I was a shorter guy, and I was taught to play as tall as I can. At first when I was playing running back, my pad level was way too high. Also, the total physicality of it. I’m doing some type of hitting every single day in practice. As a quarterback I didn't get touched until the game. I had to get a feel for certain cuts, throwing stiff arms, spin moves, stuff like that. Every day I’m more comfortable with it.

SD: I remember not even having a No. 24 on my roster during spring ball, but there was a scrimmage where you had a couple big runs. Do you remember that?

LW: It was the first time we went live in pads and the first time they actually gave me the ball. I had an 11 or 12-yard run. I was able to make the defensive lineman miss and run through a safety that came down. And after that, I continued to have a pretty good scrimmage. I was able to pick up some protections, make some blocks on a jet sweep. I was thinking, there's no way they can cut me after that, they gotta keep me on the team.

SD: Once you got to fall training camp, when did you realize you were in the mix to play?

LW: I started getting more and more reps during practice. I started getting in with DJ (Williams) and (Jake) Curry more. I started to realize I might actually get in the rotation. Coach Warner even told me at one point, “whenever they're putting in plays and it has ‘Lem’ next to it, that's a pretty good sign. So I knew there's a chance I'm gonna actually get on the field.

SD: You had a couple big plays toward the end of the Purdue game, an eight-yard run and an 11-yard catch. Did you feel like that game was an important break-through?

LW: I feel like it showed the coaches that, no matter the competition, I’m able to contribute. It proved something to myself that I can actually do this. It’s one thing to do it in practice when there's quick whistles and the defense isn’t tackling to the ground, but to get in there against Big Ten linebackers and safeties gave me a lot of confidence that I can really do this.

A quarterback-turned-running back, Wash has had multiple carries in every game this season.

SD: Has it hit you yet just how amazing your story is — thinking your career was over, learning a new position, and now contributing in a significant way to a high-powered offense?

LW: My reflection on it is really just how good God is. After high school, I just fell off the radar at my position. I had to experience  personal growth and spiritual growth. I thought I was done, and then now He has me in a position that I've always dreamed of — being on a winning team and actually having a key contributing role. I'm just truly grateful to be where I am now.

SD: Miles hasn’t made it into the defensive rotation yet. Are you able to help talk him through his situation?

LW: Yes. I’ve been in his spot, and he's handling it 10 times better than I did. He’s getting in on special teams, doing the scout team stuff, which was stuff I was reluctant to do when I was going through that. He's doing a tremendous job and his time is gonna come.

SD: Are you going to pursue an NCAA waiver to get the extra year of eligibility back?

LW: Yes, that is something I'm trying to do. I would love to come back here and play another year.

SD: What are your plans after football?

LW: After football, I'm really thinking of being a school guidance counselor. I loved being around the kids every day at South Dakota. You develop great relationships with the kids and can help point somebody in a positive direction in their life at a young age.

SD: With all the ups and downs you experienced in your college career, what advice would you give someone who is struggling with similar challenges?

LW: I would just tell them, the goal is just to win one day at a time. I had to learn to stop worrying about tomorrow. Like the Bible says, tomorrow is always gonna bring its own troubles, so just worry about today.