Unbudgeable tle giant
Young was just starting his Pro Football f Fame career in 1994, when his toughness mination flared up in a most unusual way. than arrive late to a team meeting, Young bold call to abandon his daily responsibility uy breakfast sandwiches for the group on work. g the rookie requirement would come with nces. His fellow defensive linemen had oung that they’d throw him in the team’s g pool, if he ever arrived empty-handed. o to the facility without breakfast, and every room, about nine of them, they tried to p,” Young recalled earlier this summer. re successful getting me out of the room and me to the (indoor) pool. But … ched. I clawed. I was pulling ankles. People ng to the ground,” Young continued. “I was ine or 10 dudes. Finally, we got to the door, yards from the pool, and I just put my hands or, and they couldn’t budge me.” ve linemen also couldn’t budge Young much eer, which he spent entirely with the 49ers to 2007. He was the 1994 draft’s No. 7 overut of Notre Dame. y, when Young received word in February ade the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in his of eligibility, it was ex-teammate Charles o told him at Young’s home in Charlotte, olina. en Haley threw Young into the pool. uy did what nine people couldn’t,” Haley Young recounted that story (and his rookie ool battle) during the Dwight Clark Legacy Walnut Creek in June. oung did in his career was simply to compect. so as a first-round draft pick out of Notre o enjoyed the spoils of a Super Bowl win his son. so while racking up 89½ sacks, including third season as a First Team All-Pro.
He did so by winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award in 1999, when he rebounded from a broken leg and tallied 11 sacks.
He did so wearing only one uniform, the 49ers’ No. 97, which is now worn by star defensive end Nick Bosa.
Perhaps most emblematic was the time teammates awarded him the 49ers’ most cherished honor, the
Len Eshmont Award, eight times for inspirational and courageous play. No other 49ers player has won it more than twice.
Young isn’t one to crow about accolades, such as his four Pro Bowl honors.
“How many guys have never said a word, and they’re in the Hall of Fame?” former 49ers quarterback Steve Young, also a Hall of Famer, said. “He never sold a thing in his life. He can’t sell anything about himself.”
Fellow 49ers’ Hall of Famer Terrell Owens added, “He’s a gentle giant. He’s quiet. But when the beast needed to come out, you saw it on the field. I’d walk in the locker room every day, marvel at his w professionalism and the way he played.”
Bryant Young’s response: “For me, it was a really earning the respect of those guys. Like can I do that best? I’m not going to go out th talk. Those guys can talk and do the rant and Let me go show you and earn the respect of mates.’ “
He credited his father for instilling that ac speak-louder-than-words approach. It helped transition to the NFL, where he joined a cha ship-driven roster.
“I was extremely grateful to play for such franchise,” Young said. “It meant so much to having a little knowledge of the 49ers before there, with what they stood for, the champio and the culture they had in place.”
He started every game that rookie season to the 49ers’ fifth (and last) Lombardi Troph
“You were a baller, man,” Haley told Young Dwight Clark event. “When I came back my l (1999), I saw a lion, and you roared. I’m prou played with you. You taught me a lot. I’d nev around a guy that could be humble and smil play with such tenacity.”
After 208 regular-season games and 11 mo playoffs, Young called it a career 14 years ago reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s finali in 2020 and this year.
“I know most people don’t get the opportu finish their career where they started,” Young “I was very fortunate to be around great lead really impactful teammates and, more impor rich community and fanbase we had.”
Young, 50, is a native of Chicago Heights, He is a father of six with his wife, Kristin. Six ago, their son Colby died from brain cancer a
When Bryant Young was about that age, he visions of becoming a fullback as he took up f John Piazza, then Bloom High School football however, convinced Young that his size belon trenches. Bloom reached the state playoffs in ’89 for the second and third times in school h
“I remember when he came into high scho wasn’t as tall and didn’t have the weight on that time, but you could tell he was going to azza told the Chicago Tribune. “When he left to 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds and gained more went to college. He had a good attitude, was worker, and physically, he was above and bey of the high school kids.”
Young’s advice now to such kids and their “Love well, have fun, enjoy life and create m We try to do that as best we can here.”
ynch could have gone e broadcast booth. He e taken Amazon’s money o the mic. n’t. loyalty remains with He’s back for his sixth general manager, and iled a title-contending e again. And we had
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you able to find any time this offseason, conhose six months were h Deebo Samuel and roppolo in limbo?
s a lot of hurry up and his offseason. Those ery important deciin this job, everything ortant decision. One helps is we have good ips with all these guys, you have that, it’s a lot find resolution. And I’m l for Paraag (Marathe), mpton and that whole 49ers capologists) for rk they do. They did a us job on Deebo’s deal.
QYou spoke with the team after the NFC Championship Game defeat. What was the gist of that message, and how did you reinforce that at camp?
AMy message as I spoke to our team was a message of pride. I said, “Look guys, both things can be true: We fell short of expectations, and I know how disappointed we all are, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of this group from where we came from,” which was 3-5 at Chicago. Right there, things started clicking, and in that game, I remember one play in particular, Deebo taking a screen, making it look like a 10-yard gain, and next thing you know, he has a (near) touchdown. I really was proud of the group, the way we came together, the way we fought through.
QThe last time the Rams won a Super Bowl was 22 years ago. The 49ers’ general manager at the time was Terry Donahue, and he was determined to find countermeasures to the Rams. You aren’t as one-opponent centric, are you?
A
I say this with all the respect in the world for their organization. They’re very good, they
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch looks over to his team during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. compete at a high level. You know, we’re rivals with that team. We didn’t sit here and focus, “How are we going to improve to keep up with the Rams?” We set about improving our team. The best way is to win our division. We have a really talented division, not only the Rams. The Seahawks have had our number since (2017). Arizona’s been really good. We were strategic and targeted in our moves.
Q
Your son Jake is 22. Trey Lance is the same age, and there are so many expectations on him. That’s pro sports — but all this is on a 22-year-old …
A
Obviously, when you’re making a decision, not only are you looking for the requisite talent to play quarterback in this league, you’re also looking for that makeup, that capacity, those intangibles. We felt Trey had so many of those. It’s not too big for him. We have a lot of belief in
Trey and what he can do in this offense. Yes, he’s going to make plays, he’s going to learn. The only way you really go through it is to go through it. We believe he’s equipped to have a lot of success, and we love what we’ve put around him.
QWhen you’re watchi tice on the field deep the safeties, are you watc your defenders are playi a former safety, are you f the quarterback and the
AI’m watching it all. I there because that’s I tend to see everything, my eyes see the game be you pick it up on film. It’ watch a defense whose st are incredibly high. They it really hard on our offe that’ll do nothing but ma offense better.
Q
How did it feel — th the honor — to be in into the Hall of Fame las
A
It’s hard to describe. you play this game, y so focused on what’s nex can I do today to become better player and help m You don’t spend a lot of t reflecting on all the succ you’ve had and all the pe responsible for it. This re me an opportunity to thi everyone from my paren coaches to my teammate wife to my family to ever who played a part.