Inspiration defined Bryant Young, now headed to Pro Football Hall of Fame
A much-forgotten chapter in former Notre Dame All-American Bryant Young’s life after he closed the book on a storied NFL career was dipping his toe into coaching for the first time as a 37-year-old grad assistant coach at his alma mater under Charlie Weis.
“A family of six on a GA’s salary?” he said back in 2009. “I’m taking a loss. You do the math. But it’s not about math. It was about making an investment in me.”
The coaching bug in the years that followed at times was overwhelmed and paused by life’s circumstances, including the tragic death of Young’s 15-year-old son, Colby, in 2016 due to pediatric cancer.
How the standout defensive lineman continues to handle that is nothing short of inspirational, but hardly out of character. The NFL career that preceded his run at coaching was saturated in inspiration, which took Bryant’s greatness to another dimension.
And then it happened — Young’s 14 seasons in the NFL finally became gilded in immortality.
The now 50-year-old Young was one of eight new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday night and set to be enshrined Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
The other members of his class are Tony Boselli, wide receiver Cliff Branch, safety LeRoy Butler, official Art McNally, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive end/defensive tackle Richard Seymour and coach Dick Vermeil.
"Bryant Young represents all that is good about the sport of football," said former Notre Dame teammate and former Irish All-American offensive lineman Aaron Taylor. "His leadership, class, resiliency, and consistent domination will be a welcomed addition to the most elite fraternity in professional sports."
With the selection of Young and Boselli Notre Dame and USC remain tied for the most Pro Football Hall-of-Famers, with 14 each.
Young spent all 14 of his NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers after being drafted in the first round and as the seventh pick overall in 1994.
Before his celebrated NFL run, Young was a four-year letter-winner and three-year starter at Notre Dame, earning first-team All-America honors in 1993. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1994 with a major in marketing.
BRYANT YOUNG
HALL OF FAME THUMBNAIL
(Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame)
HOF Finalist: 2 | Year of Eligibility: 10
Position: Defensive Tackle/Defensive End
Ht: 6-3, Wt: 291
NFL Career: 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers
Seasons: 14, Games: 208
College: Notre Dame
Drafted: 1st Round (7th Overall), 1994
Born: January 27, 1972 in Chicago Heights, Illinois
NOTING: Highly touted draft pick earned All-Rookie honors … Amassed 89.5 career sacks … Registered multiple sacks in each of his 14 seasons … Recorded double-digit sack totals in a season twice (11.5 in 1996 and 11.0 in 1999) …Made NFL record-tying two safeties in a season, 1996 … Recovered from broken leg to earn 1999 NFL Comeback Player of the Year after finishing with 42 tackles, three passes defensed, 20 QB pressures and team-leading 11 sacks, 15 tackles for a loss and one safety … Started in two NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl … Recorded three tackles, two assisted tackles and one pass defensed in 49ers’ win over Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX … Won team’s esteemed Len Eshmont Award for “inspirational and courageous play” eight times; no other member of 49ers organization has won it more than twice … First-team All-Pro twice (1996, 1998) … Voted to four Pro Bowls … Named to NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.
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