Malek Young is adapting to his role as an on-field coach.

CORAL GABLES — When former Hurricanes cornerback Malek Young injured his neck in the Orange Bowl and was told his playing career was over, Miami coaches and players rallied and offered to provide him as much support as possible.

Eight months later, that support is still coming and Young seems to be easing into a new role with the Hurricanes.

As his former teammates continue working their way through camp, Young has been more than a visible presence on the Greentree Practice Field, he’s been an active participant.

Young, a former standout at Coconut Creek High, has been working as an onfield coach with the Hurricanes, assisting coaches and players with drills, some of which have even required him to be holding pads and helping his former teammates with their tackling form.

It’s been seemingly a natural progression for Young, who is still on scholarship at Miami and has, since his playing career ended, focused on working on his clothing line, in addition to his studies.

“He’s in great spirits,” Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said after Sunday’s practice. “He is a student, so he can coach. You know, they’ve got all these new rules for ‘QCs’ [quality control analysts] and staff members. The only guys that can coach — literally be a coach, give instruction — are your graduate assistant coaches, your full-time coaches and your student coaches. He falls under that category.”

Added linebacker Michael Pinckney, “The whole team, we just stand around and we let him know that we’re standing behind him 100 percent. We love that he’s out here, that he’s still coming out here because he’s a big part of this team and this defense.”

Young’s influence, his teammates say, goes beyond the work he is physically doing with them. He has been an inspiration, both in how he’s handled his disappointing diagnosis and how he’s approaching his life post-football.

“I’m not going to say I took this game for granted, but once I sat down and [saw] his situation, I know for me and the other guys that it really made me buckle down,” Pinckney continued. “This game, people take it for granted, and I’ll never take this game for granted again.”

AL DIAZ/MIAMI HERALD Former UM cornerback Malek Young has been working with his teammates on the field as a student coach since being forced to the sidelines.