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Bryant Colby Young (born January 27, 1972 in Chicago Heights, Illinois) 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.
College years[]
Young was a three-year starter for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, lettering all 4 years from 1990 to 1993. As a senior, he was an All-American selection, and had 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles. 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 Draft. 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 his 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. 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, and he 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 Weis 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.[1]
On January 14, 2011 Young was hired as the defensive line coach for the University of Florida Gators football team.[2] He re-joins Gators offensive coordinator Weis and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, his former position coach with the 49ers.