MINNEAPOLIS – Maya Washington always knew her father played football, but it wasn’t until years later that she learned his full story – by helping him tell it.
Gene Washington, a Michigan State alum, standout Minnesota Vikings receiver and pioneer for black athletes, had stepped away from the gridiron before Maya, the youngest of three daughters, was born.
The Washington family stayed in Minnesota following Gene’s career, and Maya fell in love early on with the Twin Cities’ art and music culture. Football was far from her areas of interest, and the Gene she knew was the hard-working dad who took her to plays and dance performances around his nine-to-five.