Bryant Young

Last updated

Bryant Young
49ers legend Bryant Young.png
Young in 2022
No. 97
Position: Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1972-01-27) January 27, 1972 (age 52)
Chicago Heights, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:305 lb (138 kg)
Career information
High school: Bloom
(Chicago Heights, Illinois)
College: Notre Dame
NFL draft: 1994  / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
NFL record
  • Most safeties in a season: 2 (tied)
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:89.5
Tackles:618
Games played:208
Player stats at PFR

Bryant Colby Young (born January 27, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). A first-round draft pick out of University of Notre Dame, Young was nominated for the 2019 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, eventually being elected in 2022. [1] His bust was sculpted by Scott Myers and unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 6, 2022.

Contents

Early life

Young was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He attended Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, where he excelled in football.

College career

Young was a three-year starter at Notre Dame, lettering all four years from 1990 to 1993. As a senior, he was an All-American selection, and had 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles. As a junior, he was an Honorable Mention All-American selection and garnered 7.5 sacks. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1994 with a major in marketing.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in
(1.90 m)		276 lb
(125 kg)		32 in
(0.81 m)		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		4.96 s1.70 s2.87 s4.40 s28.0 in
(0.71 m)		9 ft 1 in
(2.77 m)		25 reps
All values from NFL Combine [2]

He was drafted by the 49ers in the first round (seventh overall) in the 1994 NFL draft. [3] Young made Honorable Mention All-Pro by The Associated Press in 1995. Young had his finest statistical season in 1996 recording 84 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two safeties, while earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. In 1997, although Young's sack total dropped to just four on the season, he was still a dominant presence on the interior line, helping San Francisco finish first overall in the NFL in total defense that season. Despite his drop in statistical production, he was still widely considered by many to be the best all-around DT in the NFL, despite teammate DT Dana Stubblefield being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year that same season. Young was leading the entire NFL at the DT position in sacks with 9.5 prior to his season-ending injury suffered on a Monday Night match-up against the New York Giants in week 13 of the 1998 season. The injury to Young's leg was so severe that he needed a metal rod to be inserted in the broken leg. Despite Young's devastating injury coming late in the 1998 season, he came back fully recovered in time for the 1999 season and recorded over 70 tackles, 11 sacks and a safety which earned him his second Pro Bowl. Young also received the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award for his fantastic play that same season. Bryant Young had 89.5 career sacks in his 14-year career with the 49ers, ranking him at 6th all-time in the NFL in career sacks for a player at the DT position, trailing only Trevor Pryce, Steve McMichael, Henry Thomas, Aaron Donald, and Hall of Famers John Randle and Warren Sapp. He also ranks third on the team's all-time career sacks list placing him behind only DE Tommy Hart and DE Cedric Hardman. Bryant Young also owns the 49ers' franchise record for career safeties, with 3. Young retired after the 2007 season, with the distinction of being the last active member of the Super Bowl team.

Young is a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s. Young became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Young advanced to the semi-finalist stage in Hall of Fame voting in 2020. He was eventually elected to the Hall in 2022.

He is also an 8-time recipient of the 49ers' annual Len Eshmont award, which is the team's most prestigious award and is given to the Niners player who best exemplifies the "inspirational and courageous play" of its namesake. No other recipient has won the award at least thrice. [4]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Won the Super Bowl
BoldCareer high
YearTeamGPTacklesFumblesInterceptions
CombSoloAstSacksFFFRYdsIntYdsAvgLngTDPD
1994 SF 16444226.0010000001
1995 SF 12282536.0010000002
1996 SF 1675601511.5110000004
1997 SF 12453964.0100000002
1998 SF 125342119.5210000002
1999 SF 164036411.0000000004
2000 SF 154432129.5110000003
2001 SF 16373163.5100000000
2002 SF 16352872.0000000000
2003 SF 16352963.5100000004
2004 SF 164636103.0110000001
2005 SF 13363248.0200000002
2006 SF 165241115.5000000002
2007 SF 16353146.5100000002
Career [5] 20860550410189.511600000029

Coaching career

On January 21, 2010, Young was hired as the defensive line coach at San Jose State University. [6]

On January 14, 2011, Young was hired as the defensive line coach at the University of Florida. [7]

He later re-joined defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, his former position coach with the 49ers, when he was hired as the defensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons on February 8, 2017. [8] He spent two seasons (2017–18) in that capacity before he resigned to spend more time with his family. [9] [10]

Personal life

Young is a Christian. Young is married to Kristin M. Young. They have six children. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "49ers' Young elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022". RSN. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Bryant Young, Combine Results, DT - Notre Dame". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  4. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers".
  5. ↑ "Bryant Young Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ "San Jose State hires Bryant Young". January 21, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Muschamp fills out staff with new defensive coach hire Bryant Young | Gatorsports.com". Archived from the original on January 16, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  8. ↑ SteveInBrooklyn (February 9, 2017). "Bryant Young once wreaked havoc on the Falcons, and now he'll teach Falcons to wreak havoc". The Falcoholic. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Bryant Young elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame". www.atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Falcons hire Jess Simpson as defensive line coach, Bryant Young stepping down". www.atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  11. ↑ Mercer, Kevin (August 6, 2022). "49ers legend Bryant Young honors late son, points to Christ during Hall of Fame induction". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
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