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Selvin Young? 2,000-yard season in the NFL? Write it down
BY CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
chill@star-telegram.com
DENVER — Selvin Young plans to rush for 2,000 yards in 2008.
Yes, that Selvin Young.
The one who was largely a backup running back during an injury-riddled [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]college[/FONT][/FONT] career at the University of Texas. The same one who went undrafted by all 32 teams in 2007 before latching on with the [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Denver [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Broncos[/FONT][/FONT] as a rookie free agent.
“Everything I said is legitimate from my thought process,” Young said while walking off the field after a joint practice between the [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Dallas [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cowboys[/FONT][/FONT] and Broncos. “That is something I would like to accomplish. I understand a lot of things have to come together for me to accomplish that goal. So if it comes to pass, it’s going to be great.”
However, before you scoff — and many will since there have been only five 2,000 rushers in NFL history — consider that Young has already done more than anyone thought he would.
He came out of nowhere to start eight games as a rookie and become the first undrafted player to lead the Broncos in rushing with 729 yards.
It’s the third-most rushing yards for an undrafted rookie in NFL history.
He survived a gang-infested upbringing in Houston’s Fifth Ward, including a gunshot wound at age 8. He criss-crossed through 19 elementary and junior high [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]schools[/FONT][/FONT] before moving to Jersey Village for high school.
Blame it on a broken home, poverty, moving back and forth between his mother and father while staying with other family members in between. Young said he has “been to damn near every school in Houston.”
To that end, he believes he already has been a success.
It’s also why he doesn’t let the doubters bother him. It was his belief in his own dreams and abilities that got him this far.
“Early on I understood that my life and the cards I was dealt wasn’t all aces and spades,” Young said. “So I had to deal with what I was dealt with and the obstacles that came and overcome those things. For a person like myself to get in college, coming from poverty and from a neighborhood where guys don’t even understand what college is, I feel like I was ahead of the curve.”
Young got a boost in his quest for 2,000 yards when was promoted to the starting lineup in the off-season.
The Broncos showed further confidence in Young when they released former troubled starter Travis Henry in June.
It’s safe to say that Young is buoyed by a running back-friendly offense in Denver under coach [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Mike [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Shanahan[/FONT][/FONT].
In Shanahan’s 13 previous seasons as head coach, the Broncos have finished among the league’s top 10 teams in rushing 12 times, with seven different running backs having led the team in rushing in a season.
“Selvin Young was obviously injured at Texas, but he came in here, stayed healthy and took advantage of an opportunity,” Shanahan said. “Anytime you get a scholarship and are averaging about 5.5 to 6 yards per carry at Texas, you know you have a big upside, and he is taking advantage of that opportunity here.”
Asked what he expects from Young in 2008, Shanahan joined in on the fun:
“Well, he guaranteed 2,000 [yards] I think, so he is going to be much better.”
Young said he’s going to be better because he knows what it took to get this far. He also knows his undrafted pedigree will always bring doubters and challengers to his starting job.
“My mind-set will never change. I still feel like I have come off the street,” Young said. “I’m a guy most people look at and say, ‘Where did this guy come from? He wasn’t a top draft pick.’ It’s already in the back of people’s minds that he shouldn’t be at the top. So my mind frame is to stay hungry and believe in myself. This is just the beginning.”
But also probably a good ending.
Young began [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]writing[/FONT][/FONT] a motivational book in college about his experiences titled Keep it Moving.
He has jotted down things from his childhood to his various schools to his injuries and setbacks at Texas. He is on Chapter 11 now and plans to write 22 chapters for all the schools that he has attended, including Texas and Austin Community College.
“I never got down on myself,” Young said.
“Every time things got hard, I put it in my book. Hopefully, when I am done, somebody else will be motivated by it. If 2,000 [yards] happens, it will be a great ending. We will have to see.”
BY CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
chill@star-telegram.com
DENVER — Selvin Young plans to rush for 2,000 yards in 2008.
Yes, that Selvin Young.
The one who was largely a backup running back during an injury-riddled [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]college[/FONT][/FONT] career at the University of Texas. The same one who went undrafted by all 32 teams in 2007 before latching on with the [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Denver [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Broncos[/FONT][/FONT] as a rookie free agent.
“Everything I said is legitimate from my thought process,” Young said while walking off the field after a joint practice between the [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Dallas [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cowboys[/FONT][/FONT] and Broncos. “That is something I would like to accomplish. I understand a lot of things have to come together for me to accomplish that goal. So if it comes to pass, it’s going to be great.”
However, before you scoff — and many will since there have been only five 2,000 rushers in NFL history — consider that Young has already done more than anyone thought he would.
He came out of nowhere to start eight games as a rookie and become the first undrafted player to lead the Broncos in rushing with 729 yards.
It’s the third-most rushing yards for an undrafted rookie in NFL history.
He survived a gang-infested upbringing in Houston’s Fifth Ward, including a gunshot wound at age 8. He criss-crossed through 19 elementary and junior high [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]schools[/FONT][/FONT] before moving to Jersey Village for high school.
Blame it on a broken home, poverty, moving back and forth between his mother and father while staying with other family members in between. Young said he has “been to damn near every school in Houston.”
To that end, he believes he already has been a success.
It’s also why he doesn’t let the doubters bother him. It was his belief in his own dreams and abilities that got him this far.
“Early on I understood that my life and the cards I was dealt wasn’t all aces and spades,” Young said. “So I had to deal with what I was dealt with and the obstacles that came and overcome those things. For a person like myself to get in college, coming from poverty and from a neighborhood where guys don’t even understand what college is, I feel like I was ahead of the curve.”
Young got a boost in his quest for 2,000 yards when was promoted to the starting lineup in the off-season.
The Broncos showed further confidence in Young when they released former troubled starter Travis Henry in June.
It’s safe to say that Young is buoyed by a running back-friendly offense in Denver under coach [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Mike [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Shanahan[/FONT][/FONT].
In Shanahan’s 13 previous seasons as head coach, the Broncos have finished among the league’s top 10 teams in rushing 12 times, with seven different running backs having led the team in rushing in a season.
“Selvin Young was obviously injured at Texas, but he came in here, stayed healthy and took advantage of an opportunity,” Shanahan said. “Anytime you get a scholarship and are averaging about 5.5 to 6 yards per carry at Texas, you know you have a big upside, and he is taking advantage of that opportunity here.”
Asked what he expects from Young in 2008, Shanahan joined in on the fun:
“Well, he guaranteed 2,000 [yards] I think, so he is going to be much better.”
Young said he’s going to be better because he knows what it took to get this far. He also knows his undrafted pedigree will always bring doubters and challengers to his starting job.
“My mind-set will never change. I still feel like I have come off the street,” Young said. “I’m a guy most people look at and say, ‘Where did this guy come from? He wasn’t a top draft pick.’ It’s already in the back of people’s minds that he shouldn’t be at the top. So my mind frame is to stay hungry and believe in myself. This is just the beginning.”
But also probably a good ending.
Young began [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]writing[/FONT][/FONT] a motivational book in college about his experiences titled Keep it Moving.
He has jotted down things from his childhood to his various schools to his injuries and setbacks at Texas. He is on Chapter 11 now and plans to write 22 chapters for all the schools that he has attended, including Texas and Austin Community College.
“I never got down on myself,” Young said.
“Every time things got hard, I put it in my book. Hopefully, when I am done, somebody else will be motivated by it. If 2,000 [yards] happens, it will be a great ending. We will have to see.”
