Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has been sold short his entire life and he’s erased doubters and eliminated haters with precision, a champion’s execution and the heart of a giant.
After a dominating college career that included a Heisman Trophy, Young was considered the prize of the quarterback position, despite measuring even shorter than former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.
Bryce Young’s Size Leaves Doubt As NFL Draft Approaches
As the draft approaches, the criticisms and doubts about Young’s ability to translate his size and skills to the next level effectively, as well as concerns about his durability as a 5-10ish, 185-pound NFL QB, have reached an apex. A coveted QB of his size is something that the league has never seen.
Some analysts have flipped on Young, highlighting CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson —even less-heralded Wil Levis — as better pro prospects.
How Has Young Responded To Critics?
Young has faced all of his critics and competition and constantly come out on top. The field general dissects the naysayers in the same manner that he does defenses.
In a recent episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast ‘ it was time for Young to do the talking, and he went head-on with the doubts that pundits have laid on him due to being a quarterback under 6 feet tall.
He also admits that being a Black quarterback, combined with his stature, made it more difficult for him early in his football life.
“For me growing up, I didn’t get the same looks,” said Young. “It wasn’t the same. I was counted out for being a black quarterback and especially for being smaller too. We’ve started to see it change a bit. I’m blessed for the time I’ve had, but for a long time it was the pocket passers.
“That was a real quarterback,” Young continued. ‘If you were a dual-threat quarterback or a running quarterback, they can’t win big games. It’s not going to work in college or in the pros. That’s what I was hearing a lot growing up. I’ve always had that mentality to overcome that. I focus on myself and trying to prove myself and what I can control. I’ve always had to do that throughout my life.”
When pressed further to comment on his size by co-host Jae Crowder, Young says he’s learned to shake off those who would seek to discourage him.
“Respective to the people around me, I’ve always been this height,” said Young. “I’ve always been shorter and smaller. A lot of people say ‘you must be sick of this, this draft process and people talking about your size.’ I’m 21. I’ve been dealing with this my whole life. This is not new at all. It’s OK. For me, I’m not someone who really wants to go out and combat or refute everything everyone says about me. I don’t look at people as they got it wrong. I feel like that’s the beauty of sports.
“We all have our favorites or root for certain people. We all have opinions on every individual athlete. And that’s cool. I’m good with that. For the people who support and believe in me, I’m super grateful. But for everyone who thinks I’m too short or whatever it may be, I never take that stuff personally. The beauty of sports is we get to have these conversations.”
Bryce Young Recalls A Story His Dad Always Tells Him
As the episode continues, humorous controversy then erupts among the Young family, as the star QB expresses his doubts about a story his father Craig is fond of telling, and mother Julie confirms, about him as a baby football prodigy.
“My dad tells a story about me,” said Young. “I’m laying down and I can’t talk. I can’t walk. I can’t crawl, but he said I had great grip strength and when he threw me a ball, I just caught it perfectly. (laughs) Dad, I believe that’s how you think it played out, but that doesn’t even make sense. … I let him have his moment.”
The elder Young was spontaneously invited onto the show to confirm or deny the tale, which he reaffirms strongly and then goes on to speak emotionally about his son’s journey to his dreams and how proud he is to be part of it.
Upon prodding from Ryan Clark, Craig Young admits he often feels the urge to jump into discussions about his son’s future football fortunes but has had to let his son handle things his own way.
“As a parent, you always have this instinct to make sure that your kid is protected,” said the elder Young. “And if you hear something being said that’s not true, you want to make sure you rectify that or validate or invalidate it. But then I have to understand that Bryce is his own man. He is perfectly capable of handling himself and of being able to rise above that.”
Bryce Young Says He Should Go No. 1 Overall Because He Handles Pressure
The crew made sure to again press Young on why he believes he should be selected first overall, with the humble former University of Alabama star eventually making the pitch for his on-field prowess and how it will translate to the NFL.
“For me, it’s kind of hard to elaborate on,” Young admits. “I’m myself, regardless. I feel like I pride myself in those pressure situations… Moments of being unsure and being able to be myself at everything, because I do take pride and have confidence in how I am on the field. How I process and how I throw the ball, decision making and all that stuff. I feel I can do that regardless of the situation or what’s going on. Being able to be in that state of mind, regardless of what’s going on is a big reason to pick me.”
The moment of truth is just a few days away and Young will be a part of history in some way. Regardless of what happens on draft day it’s just step one of a long, challenging NFL journey. More opportunity for Young to prove the haters wrong.
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