Megan Cloherty, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – It is rare to find an NFL player heading into his fourth season who has only played with one team. Fullback Darrel Young considers himself lucky in this regard, but some fans are ready to see why head coach Mike Shanahan is keeping Young around.
Fans have watched Young have moments of greatness and sparks of potential. But the Villanova grad has yet to put up big numbers after two consecutive starting seasons. Last season, Young tallied just six carries and 33 yards.
There’s no doubt that the personable guy from Amityville, N.Y., believes in himself. His loyalty and positive attitude toward the team is palpable.
“I feel good. Talking to some guys, you look at a guy like Tristan Davis, he was on five teams last year. Just to hear his story, it’s a blessing to be in one place for four years,” Young says. “Shanahan has been the best thing that has happened to me. He’s been fair. Whatever happens from here on out is on me.”
No. 36 has aspirations beyond his football career. In the offseason, Young started persuing his master’s degree in sports management. He also took time out to join the Super Bowl Tour, traveling to Honduras and El Salvador to meet with American troops serving overseas.
“It was a great experience. I just didnt realize the Army, Navy, Marines work together so much. There’s so much camraderie and that’s what I kinda learned,” Young says.
Young’s brother is currently serving in the Army, and Young says the trip made him realize what American troops have to endure while serving their country.
“They’ve got termites everywhere,” he says. “Just to see the different conditions they go through for us and sacrifice the things that they’re doing … It was a big deal.”
Young’s Stats:
- Favorite Snack: Fruit snacks
- Superstitions: “I don’t change my cleats. Once these cleats, I don’t change them. If I play bad, then I’ll change them.”
- Song: “Bag of Money” by Rick Ross. “It’s my song right now, I don’t know why.”
- Nickname: D-Y or “The Amityville Horror,” which came from his high school in New York.
Many fans will remember Young from his touchdown against the 2012 Super Bowl champion Giants that contributed to the Skins 23-10 win in December 2011:
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