By Jeff Craig and Brandon Tripp

Former ACU offensive lineman Tony Washington went undrafted in the 2010 NFL draft this weekend, despite many predictions to the contrary.

Washington performed well at the NFL combine, prompting speculation he could be drafted in the mid to late rounds. The NFL Draft Bible predicted Washington would be selected in the sixth round; Consensus Draft Services projected he would be selected in the fifth. D2 Football said Washington was a top-150 player. Gil Brandt with NFL.com said Washington was the sixth-best senior offensive tackle in the draft, one spot ahead of Notre Dame tackle Sam Young, who was taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round.

Washington, however, said he is not bothered, and he will continue to work hard.

“I don’t know where or who (will sign me) yet, but no matter what, I will keep fighting and believing in God,” Washington said. “He will take care of this; I put it all in his hands.”

Washington said he is grateful for his time at ACU and the continual support he receives from his alma mater, including from Head Football Coach Chris Thomsen.

“I just told him to keep your head up and God has a plan, and he has that in perspective, and God has a plan for his future,” Thomsen said. “He’s disappointed just like anybody would be, but he is still hopeful that somebody will give him an opportunity to come to training camp as an undrafted free agent.”

Thomsen said he did not believe Washington’s status as a sex offender affected his draft status.

“The NFL already knew about it this time last year; I don’t think that article had anything to do with it,” he said. “The NFL knew when they first started looking at Tony. I guess teams decided that they didn’t want to deal with it.”

Washington started two seasons for the Wildcats after spending a season at Trinity Valley Community College. He played two seasons of high school football at Alcee Fortier High School in New Orleans.