STILLWATER, Okla. -- As he darted through his house to leave for a team workout, James Washington inadvertently smashed his knuckle on a door jam.
The pain instantly reverberated up and down his hand. But coming from the farmlands of West Texas, Washington grew up believing trips to the doctor were reserved for life-and-death predicaments.
Instead, Washington made his way to the Oklahoma State weight room, where he maxed out with 300-plus pounds on the power clean and bench press.