Dec. 4, 2002

By Jonathan Gust, Villanova Media Relations

He is a different person off the field than he is on. Off the field his contagious smile can brighten up an entire room. On the field, he is a fiery warrior who has no reservations about putting a crushing blow on whatever opponent is carrying the football at the time. Teammate Gary Johnson calls him bi-polar. Others call him Dr. Jeckle. He is senior linebacker Jamison Young and he is taking the head off opponents at a stadium near you.

Growing up in Sicklerville, N.J., it wasn't until Young was 13 years old that he began playing football at the competitive level. Early on, it was baseball that peaked his greatest interests. With his size, Young seemed like the perfect fit for playing ball - whatever sport it might be.

"Well, I was always a little over-sized," said Young. "That's what everyone told me - that I was going to play ball."

"I hate to say it because I am playing football here, but I would have to say that baseball was my favorite sport growing up," said Young. "My Granddad played for the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues. Every Sunday we would go down there, go to church and then I would sit with my Granddad and talk baseball. I played Legion Baseball at the time, so we would talk for a little bit and then I would go play ball."

As Young continued to grow and mature, his love for football grew with him. A hard worker in whatever sport he was playing at the time, he picked up his work ethic and views on life and sports from his Granddad - who made sure he taught his grandson about the experiences he went through years ago playing for the Newark Eagles.

"My Granddad taught me a lot and made me appreciate the past," said Young. "That's why he is not a big fan of certain players today - just for that reason. Some players don't acknowledge the kind of things that they (Negro League players) did and had to go through. Certain players feel like they got there on their own and don't realize the sacrifices other people made for them."

Young was a three-sport star at Overbrook High School lettering in baseball, football and basketball. As a junior, he earned a starting position at linebacker. It was not until a year later when he was pushed into duty at tailback due to an injury to the team's starter that the college coaches began giving him their utmost attention.

"I wouldn't say that I really stood out in football until my senior year," said Young. "At the end of my junior year, Army sent me my first letter and I also got a letter from VMI. But nobody really started calling until I was going into my senior year. That really didn't happen until the starting tailback on my team, who was going to Wisconsin, got hurt and they moved me to tailback. I think moving to tailback brought some attention to me. A lot of schools started calling four or five games into my senior year."

A number of Atlantic 10 Conference schools came calling including Richmond, New Hampshire, and Villanova. While others made their college choices based solely on athletics, Young made his choice for all the right reasons.

"Pretty much the reputation it had made Villanova the choice for me," said Young. "Where I am from - a lot of guys from my high school were going to big schools like Wisconsin. One of my teachers pulled me aside one day and said that out of everyone I was the one that was the most well off because Villanova is such a well-rounded school. When I came here on my recruiting trip, Coach Talley told me I could have the chance to play baseball too. All of this helped make my decision an easy one."

Young had the opportunity to play immediately as a freshman on the Main Line in 1999. He was a key contributor both on special teams and as a backup linebacker.

"I enjoyed my freshman year," said Young. "Shaun Lyons, Dave Heckard, DeLonne Kelly - they were good players who had a great work ethic. Out of all the people, they had the most influence on me and helped me out the most that season."

One year later, Young finished up the 2000 season as one of the most improved players on the Villanova team. Playing in all 11 games, he finished second on the Wildcats in tackles with 77, in addition to recording three tackles for a loss and three quarterback sacks. As one of his own toughest critics, however, Young was not satisfied with his play on the gridiron.

"My sophomore year was my most difficult," said Young. "Coming off your freshman year, you have a lot of expectations and the coaches have a lot of expectations for you. I started like three games, but mentally I wasn't ready yet. If you put me out there I'd run around and play hard, but I wasn't always in the right place. After games I would be going to the press conference because they said I had a good game. Then I would go see my mom and my dad and tell them that I have to start playing better so that I am deserving of all this."

Despite his modest views of his performance, Young began to get a great deal of notoriety in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2000. One season later, he made a name for himself as one of the conference's and the nation's top linebackers. His speed killed the opposition as he led the team in tackles with 89 and led all of I-AA in forced fumbles with five. Young also amassed nine tackles for a loss and six and a half quarterback sacks.

"Coach Talley always says it is my speed that makes me effective and how fast I close on the ball. I am more of a finesse player. It means a lot when after games people come up to me and tell me how well I played," said Young. "I think more than me, it speaks about the players I am around because they play hard and that makes me play hard."

He also made one of his other dreams and the dreams of his Granddad come true when he became a member of first year head coach Joe Godri's Villanova baseball team. He only registered one hit in five at-bats as he tried to balance baseball with the demands of spring football, but it is the memories of finally getting the chance to suit up and walk on to the diamond as a member of the Wildcat baseball team that will mean the most to him.

One of the most frequently asked questions of Young is how he can be so nice and laid back off the field, but such a fierce competitor on the field.

"Everybody says that," said Young. "Gary Johnson calls me bi-polar and other people call me Dr. Jeckle. Just being out there with those guys, it gives you a little extra something. When you step into the game everyone has a different mentality. I guess mine is just a little bit more of an extreme on the field than off."

Young has high expectations for the 2002 Wildcats as they have gotten off to tremendous start. With only half of his senior season remaining, he wants make his finals days on the field to be as memorable as the rest of his career.

"One of the biggest things I got from players like Joe Keating and Shaun Lyons is that when I was a freshman and they were playing their last game as seniors, they were sitting there balling. I couldn't believe it because these were grown men. What were they crying for? Being my senior year, I am just now realizing and appreciating that this is probably the last time I'll be out there. That's one of the biggest things I want to bring to the underclassman. Enjoy the time you're out there because you only get those 11 Saturday's a year. You have to make the most out of that."

When Young walks off the field for the last time as a member of the Wildcats, there will be one fan in particular that will be cheering the loudest - his son Julian.

"He is a driving force for me," said Young. "Looking up in the stands and seeing Julian is a great feeling. Now that he is starting to know what's going on, I'll be going out of the game and he'll be pointing at me."

Young has always kept what his Granddad taught him at heart and approaches everything he does by remembering the people that helped get him here - God, his family and his teammates.

"For me to be out there, there are so many other people doing stuff," said Young. "My mom, she had my brother when she was younger, and so she has always said to me, 'you're in college, I want you to be able to enjoy it.' Every time I am traveling or away, Julian's mom and her family do so much. In order for me to be doing what I am doing, there are other people making a lot of sacrifices. That's motivation in itself. That is motivation for me that I have to reach my potential not only for myself but because there are people doing things so that I am able to play here."

"My Granddad always talks to me about enjoying being on that field because you are only doing it for a limited time. When I talk to him about baseball - and he describes what it was like playing in different places and different cities - he will talk just as much about the atmosphere and the people he was around. That is one of the biggest things for me - Julian, my family, my teammates. My work ethic comes from the people I am around because I want to work harder for them."