Young attended Edison High School in Fresno, California, where he led his high school basketball team to the valley playoffs.
College career[]
A unanimous first-team All-America in 1972, Young appeared in the Hula Bowl and College All-Star Game. A First-Team All-Conference selection, he led USC to a Rose Bowl appearance, a Pacific-8 Conference title and National Championship in 1972. Named USC’s Lineman of the Year in 1972, Young’s 62 receptions were a school record by a tight end. In three seasons, he amassed 1,008 receiving yards and ten touchdowns. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[1][2]
Professional career[]
Following graduation, Young earned Rookie of the Year honors with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 and went on to play for 13 seasons in the NFL with four teams. He played in the Pro Bowl in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and won Super Bowl XVI with the San Francisco 49ers in 1982. He was a key contributor on the final 89-yard drive that led to the play that has been immortalized as "The Catch" in the 1982 NFC Playoffs versus the Dallas Cowboys. "The Catch", as the play has since been named by sportscasters was made by 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark on a pass from Joe Montana. It reminded older 49er fans of the "Alley-oop" passes that Y.A. Tittle threw to lanky receiver R.C. Owens back in the 1950s. A picture of Clark's leap in the air taken by Walter Iooss, Jr. appeared on the cover of that week's Sports Illustrated and was also featured in an Autumn 2005 commercial for Gatorade. He also played with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
After football[]
A staunch community supporter, Young volunteers with the United Way, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Society, and Pacific Northwest Athletic Congress. A volunteer for the 1990 Goodwill Games, he participated in the Black Men Professional Breakfast and is a board member of the Wee Care Childcare Center.
