By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – High school football coaches know it's usually smart to have your best athlete at quarterback. Even if he's not a great passer, and even if he is by far the best player on your defense, you're better off with you're most talented guy handling the ball.
That's why Jordan Young played quarterback at Coatesville High School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He was the team's best athlete. And had he played defense, he likely would have had a number of scholarship offers from Power 5 schools.
He was a pretty good quarterback, completing 208 of 324 passes for 2,270 yards and 20 touchdowns. He rushed for 669 yards and 20 more touchdowns. Temple, where his father, Anthony Young, played football, and Georgia Southern and UMass all recruited him as a quarterback.
But he knew his only route to the NFL was to play defense. "And I didn't have much defensive film," he said.
"I had some schools interested in me because of my size and potential. But nobody really followed through because I didn't have any film."
Old Dominion's coaches were among the few who saw that potential. And in part because ODU recruited him as a linebacker, he signed with the Monarchs.
"I loved the guys and the atmosphere here," he said. "I also knew if I was going to play at the next level, it would probably not be at quarterback.
"I'm so thankful that ODU's coaches believed in me and gave me an opportunity."
ODU faithful are just as grateful that Young cast his lot with the Monarchs. Now 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, the sixth-year senior linebacker is the best player on a defense that is likely the best in ODU history.
He's etched himself into the ODU record books as well. Heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against Charlotte at S.B. Ballard Stadium, Young has 328 career tackles, 12 short of tying Craig Wilkins for the school record of 340.
He had eight tackles in last week's 24-17 victory at Middle Tennessee, when he moved into second place, moving past TJ Ricks.
Wilkins is a legendary name in ODU football. He started and was a captain on ODU's first four teams, which all had winning records and made waves in the FCS playoffs. His senior year, the Monarchs were 11-2 and finished sixth nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision rankings.
Wilkins is also second to Oshane Ximines, now with the New York Giants, with 169 tackles for a loss and first with nine fumble recoveries and interceptions.
Wilkins was a graduate assistant when Young was a freshman in 2016.
"After my first redshirt season, he told me he wanted me to go out and beat his record," Young said. "The connection I have with him is special. TJ Ricks messaged me after I passed him and told me to go get first.
"I'm not chasing it. If I accomplish it along the way and we're doing what we're supposed to be doing and winning, then I'm happy. But personal records don't mean a lot to me."
So much of what Young has brought to the team the last few seasons doesn't show up in the box score. He's been one of the team's primary leaders through what have been the darkest years of ODU football. He and offensive lineman Isaac Weaver and placekicker Nick Rice are tri-captains.
ODU was 5-7, 4-8 and 1-11 in the first three seasons in which he played and ODU did not play last season because of the pandemic. When Blake Seiler was hired as ODU's defensive coordinator, he realized within days that Young was a "special player and a special person."
"Jordan is captain for a reason," Seiler said. "Jordan is pretty reserved, he's not very outspoken. But he leads his teammates. Outside the building, he does so much to mentor these guys.
"He's got a laser focus. When you talk to him, he's hanging on every word. When we're meeting, he tells the guys to sit up and pay attention.
"Jordan is the type of guy we're all going to be working for someday."
ODU began the season losing six of its first seven games, but has since won four in a row. A victory Saturday would almost certainly propel the Monarchs into their first bowl game since 2016.
Young was a redshirt freshman on that 2016 team and has fond memories of ODU's visit to the Bahamas Bowl. He said he'd love to go back to a bowl but says he's not looking forward to what may happen after Saturday.
"If we don't beat Charlotte, we're not going anywhere," he said. "Charlotte has a good team and we're just focused on wining the next game."
Young comes from a football family. His father roomed at Temple with Todd Bowles, the former Washington Redskins star who won Super Bowl titles as a player, coach and administrator. He's the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He said he often speaks with Bowles, who remains a close family friend, as well as Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who coached his father at Temple.
"It's so great having that connection," Young said. "When I'm going through a difficult time or need some advice, it's great to know I can call them.
"It's also great knowing I have my dad. He knows so much about football."
As do his younger brothers, Avery and Aaron, who play at Rutgers University. His youngest brother, Aaron, is a sophomore running back. Avery is a redshirt junior defensive back who has 226 tackles, two interceptions and 24 passes defenses in his four seasons.
As kids growing up, their back-yard football and basketball games were legendary in the neighborhood.
"We played every sport imaginable," Young said. He said he gave his father old family videos, which he had transferred to a USB drive, on Father's Day so that his dad could cherish the memories of his sons.
"I just watched those old tapes," he said. "We would run around the house in shoulder pads in a Philadelphia Eagles suit. We played football, we played basketball.
"We were never bored. My brothers, they are such a blessing. Not everyone has that kind of relationships with their brothers. I just love those guys."
There are often conflicts between Rutgers and ODU games and there's a major conflict on Saturday. It is senior day for ODU, Young's last regular-season game as a Monarch. But Avery is also celebrating his senior day when Rutgers hosts Maryland.
That means his mother and father will be in different places on Saturday – his mom will be in Norfolk waiting on the field for him when senior ceremonies take place at 1:30. His dad will be in Piscataway, New Jersey, with his brother.
"It honestly hasn't hit me that this is my last home game," Young said. "I suppose it will hit me when I walk onto the field.
"I'm not looking past this game. I'm trying to soak up every minute that I have with my teammates. I've been here six years, and I know that's a long time. But in some ways, time has just flown by."
Young said that he and his brother likely will return to Pennsylvania once the season is over to begin preparing for the NFL draft.
"All of the NFL scouts are asking about him," Seiler said. "I know it's a part of Jordan's goals.
"He's got the pedigree and the family connections with Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians. He'll get his opportunity and I know he'll be prepared."
Young said regardless of what happens Saturday, he's proud of what he and his teammates accomplished in 2020 and 2021 under Rahne.
"I kind of wanted to help set the foundation for what his staff wanted to do and just what his vision was," Young said.
"We've re-established what ODU can be when we're winning, when the community, the fans are supporting us.
"It shows what ODU can be in the future. I'm excited for the future of what this program is going to become.
"I'm just happy to have been a part of it."
Minium worked 39 years at The Virginian-Pilot before coming to ODU to cover athletics for odusports.com Follow him on Twitter @Harry_MiniumODU, Instagram @hbminium1 or email hminium@odu.edu
Minium: Jordan Young Provided Leadership and Etched His Name in the ODU Football Record Book
