Young prepares for new role with ’Canes
CORAL GABLES — For Juwon Young, the moment he had long been waiting for came unexpectedly.
After being frustrated by how long it took him to learn the playbook and adapt to the college game, after enduring a foot injury that sidelined him for most of training camp and after seeing most of his playing time come on special teams, Young was pressed into duty on defense quickly during Miami’s win over Virginia Tech last week.
One moment he was on the sideline as the backup to starting middle linebacker Raphael Kirby, the Hurricanes’ leader on defense. And the next, Young found himself scrambling to get on the field when Kirby injured his knee so severely he’ll undergo season-ending surgery this morning.
There was no time for Young, a sophomore from the small town of Albany, Ga., to speak to Kirby, one of his mentors. There was no time to think, really.
And maybe, his coach said, that was the best way for Young to get his first significant taste of Atlantic Coast Conference action. He’’ll get plenty more of it Saturday afternoon as he makes his first collegiate start when the Hurricanes host sixth-ranked Clemson (6-0, 3-0) at Sun Life Stadium.
“Sometimes, when you transition into a starting role and you tell a kid on Sunday or Monday, they’re just [tight] all week,” Miami coach Al Golden said. “For Juwon, that was probably the best thing. ‘OK, Juwon, you’re in.’ His first play he leveraged a screen which was going to be a really big play — they had us outnumbered. Then he had an interception and made some other plays in there that maybe only we can identify, in terms of his fit. I’m really proud of him, the way he stepped up. Being around the building Sunday and Monday, just trying to get ahead, knowing he’s the guy now. He’s ready for this. He’s ready for the challenge.”
Though Young has been spending every spare minute studying ahead of Saturday’s game, he says some of his best preparation likely came this summer when a sprained foot made him a spectator during training camp.
It was there, Young says, that the game finally began to slow down for him and he started to understand just what he’d need to do to be successful in Miami’s defense. And it didn’t take long for him to prove he was ready against the Hokies.
In a little more than 20 minutes, the sophomore registered four tackles, including one for a loss. He had an interception that led to a field goal and he showed his more experienced teammates he could keep pace with them.
“The thing is, JY always comes in ready. He’s always studying. He’s always asking Kirby questions. He’s always asking me questions. I knew once his time came he’d be ready,” fellow linebacker Jermaine Grace said. “His time came once Kirby went down and he was ready.”
With Clemson ahead and five ACC games left on the schedule after Saturday, the Hurricanes (4-2, 1-1) will need Young’s development to continue. More than that, they need him to stay healthy and in shape. Kirby’s injury was the third significant blow the Miami linebackers corps has taken this year after losing Darrion Owens (knee) and Marques Gayot (neck) last month.
Young says he feels no after-effects from this summer’s foot injury and he’s eager to continue proving he belongs at Miami.
“Kirby went down, so I’ve got to come back,” said Young, who has spoken to Kirby for advice.
“… Get the defense up, get everyone huddled around me and we’ve got to win this Coastal [Division].”