Michael Young (linebacker)
| Los Angeles Rams | |||||||||||
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| Title | Pro scout | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | June 1, 1978 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| Position | Linebacker (No. 53) | ||||||||||
| High school | Hazelwood East (St. Louis) | ||||||||||
| College | Illinois (1997–2000) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2001: undrafted | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
Operations | |||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Michael Young (born June 1, 1978) is an American former professional football linebacker who is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Young played for the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions from 2001 to 2004.
College career
Young played for the Illinois Fighting Illini from 1997 to 2000. He missed his first season in 1996 due to an injury and redshirted.[1] In 1997, Young made 83 tackles, including five tackles for loss and two sacks.[2] In his senior season, he was named a preseason Butkus Award candidate.[3] Young made 56 tackles in his final year.[4]
Professional career
Arizona Cardinals
After not being selected in the 2001 NFL draft, Young signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.[5] He was released on August 27, 2001, as part of final roster cut downs. Young signed to the practice squad on September 3 and spent the rest of the season there.[6]
Young made the active roster at the start of the 2002 season, playing in all 16 games and starting in two. He recorded 30 total tackles, including two tackles for loss and 22 return yards.[7]
Young played in the first game of the 2003 season, making one tackle before being released by the Caridnals on September 12.[6] He then re-signed with the team on November 19, 2003. Young played in five further games registering three more tackles.[8] On August 23, 2004, he was released by the Cardinals.[6]
Detroit Lions
On August 25, 2004, Young was picked up off waivers by the Detroit Lions. He was released on September 5, 2004.[6]
Post-playing career
After finishing his playing career, Young was an on-air analyst for 101 ESPN, covering the St. Louis Rams.[9] He later worked on college broadcasts for the Lindenwood Lions.[10]
Administrative career
Lindenwood Lions
Young was a football operations assistant and recruiting analyst at Lindenwood for two seasons from 2017–2018.[11]
New York Jets
In 2018, Young was a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow for the New York Jets.[12] There, he learned how scouting departments and front offices operate.[10] Following this, Young served as a scout in the Midwest and Midlands area for the Reese's Senior Bowl in 2019. In doing so, he became the first NFL player to scout for the Senior Bowl.[10][11]
Los Angeles Rams
In March 2020, Young joined the Los Angeles Rams as a scouting apprentice.[9] He spent five seasons assisting with the north, northeast, Midwest and west U.S. regions.[11] On March 12, 2025, it was announced that Young had been promoted to a pro scout.[13]
References
- ^ Asmussen, Bob (September 1, 1997). "Young gun aiming high". The News-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ Robinson, Susan (September 18, 2000). "Young Has Known Since Childhood That He Wanted To Be A Football Star". University of Illinois Athletics. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ "Young Named Butkus Award Candidate". University of Illinois Athletics. August 24, 2000. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ "Three Illini Gridders to Play in Blue-Gray All-Star Football Classic". University of Illinois Athletics. December 18, 2000. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ "Six More Former Illinois Football Players Sign Deals". University of Illinois Athletics. April 23, 2001. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Michael Young Pro Football Stats". www.profootballarchives.com. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ "Michael Young 2002 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ "Michael Young 2003 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ a b "Meet Michael Young | Rams Scouting Apprentice". Therams.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ a b c Werner, Jeremy (July 27, 2019). "Former Illini LB Young 'on the right track' in scouting pursuit". 247Sports. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Michael Young". Therams.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ "Scouting Apprenticeship Program". Therams.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Alper, Josh (March 12, 2025). "Rams announce new roles, titles for members of personnel department". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2026.