Bryant Young
Encyclopedia
Bryant Colby Young is an American football
coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida
and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers
. A first round draft
pick out of University of Notre Dame
, he played the defensive tackle position.
team, lettering all 4 years from 1990 to 1993. As a senior, he was an All-America
n selection, and had 6.5 sacks and 67 tackle
s. 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.
. , Young was the last remaining player on the 49ers' active roster who was a part of their Super Bowl XXIX
victory over the San Diego Chargers
in 1994. Bryant Young had his finest statistical season in 1996 recording 84 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 2 safeties, while earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. In 1997, Young helped teammate DT Dana Stubblefield record 15 sacks and win honors of the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award by consistently taking on most of the double teams on the interior defensive front from the opposing teams offensive line. 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 matchup 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, Young 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's Comeback Player of the Year Award for his fantastic play that same season. Young had 89.5 career sacks in his 14 year career with the 49ers, ranking him 3rd on the teams 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. Bryant Young is a Member of the NFL's ALL-Decade Team of the 1990's. Young wore the number 97 his whole career since college. Young retired from the NFL following the 2007 season.
at the end of the 2009 season, Young declined offers to remain the graduate assistant at Notre Dame or re-unite with new Akron head football coach Rob Ianello
. Instead, Young was hired as defensive line coach by San Jose State on January 22, 2010.
On January 14, 2011 Young was hired as the defensive line coach for the University of Florida Gators football team. He re-joins Gators offensive coordinator Weis and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, his former position coach with the 49ers.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. A first round draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
pick out of University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, he played the defensive tackle position.
College years
Young was a three-year starter for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
team, lettering all 4 years from 1990 to 1993. As a senior, he was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n selection, and had 6.5 sacks and 67 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s. 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
He was drafted by the 49ers in the 1st round (7th overall) in the 1994 NFL Draft1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. , Young was the last remaining player on the 49ers' active roster who was a part of their Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
victory over the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1994. Bryant Young had his finest statistical season in 1996 recording 84 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 2 safeties, while earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. In 1997, Young helped teammate DT Dana Stubblefield record 15 sacks and win honors of the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award by consistently taking on most of the double teams on the interior defensive front from the opposing teams offensive line. 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 matchup 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, Young 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's Comeback Player of the Year Award for his fantastic play that same season. Young had 89.5 career sacks in his 14 year career with the 49ers, ranking him 3rd on the teams 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. Bryant Young is a Member of the NFL's ALL-Decade Team of the 1990's. Young wore the number 97 his whole career since college. Young retired from the NFL following the 2007 season.
Coaching career
On January 29, 2009, Young was hired as a graduate assistant for the football team at Notre Dame, his alma mater. Following the termination of Fighting Irish head coach Charlie WeisCharlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
at the end of the 2009 season, Young declined offers to remain the graduate assistant at Notre Dame or re-unite with new Akron head football coach Rob Ianello
Rob Ianello
-External links:*...
. Instead, Young was hired as defensive line coach by San Jose State on January 22, 2010.
On January 14, 2011 Young was hired as the defensive line coach for the University of Florida Gators football team. He re-joins Gators offensive coordinator Weis and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, his former position coach with the 49ers.