? 2000 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
? 1989 NCAA Today’s Top Six Award
? 1989 First-Team All-American (AFCA/Kodak, Walter Camp)
? 1989 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American
? 1989 Lombardi Award Semifinalist
? 1989 First-Team All-Big 8
? 1988 First-Team All-American (AP, Coaches)
? 1988 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American
? 1988 First-Team All-Big 8
? 1987 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII
? 1987 Second-Team All-Big 8
? 1987 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII
? Two-time Lee Jeans Academic All-Big 8
Senior (1989)
Continuing the long tradition of outstanding centers at the University of Nebraska, Jake Young was named a first-team All-American by AFCA/Kodak and by the Walter Camp Foundation to become the third Husker center in the Tom Osborne era to be a two-time All-American, joining Rik Bonness (1974-75) and Dave Rimington (1981-82). At the NCAA convention in <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Dallas in January, both he and two time Husker volleyball All-American Virginia Stahr will receive the Today’s Top Six Award, the organization’s top award for student-athletes. A third Husker athlete, 1989 NCAA women’s outdoor triple jump champion Renita Robison (wife of starting inside linebacker Pay Tyrance) was one of six winter-spring sport finalists for the award, giving Nebraska three of the 12 finalists. Young joined quarterback Gerry Gdowski as a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American. A three-year starter, Young and All-America tackle Doug Glaser were the only returning starters from last year’s offensive line, and led a unit the powered Nebraska to its sixth NCAA rushing title of the 1980s at 375.3 yards per game. Young also helped Nebraska lead the Big 8 and rank second national in coring offense at 44.7 points per game, while leading the conference and ranking third in the NCAA in total offense at 513.3 yard per game. He was on of 12 Lombardi Award semifinalists, a two-time All-Big 8 selection, a two-time Lee Jeans Academic All-Big 8 performer, and a two-time GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII pick.
Junior (1988)
Young became the ninth Nebraska center to earn All-America honors, receiving the accolades from both the Associated Press and the conference coaches. Young also received Lee Jeans Academic All-Conference honors and became a two-time CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-District selection (he had a 3.380 grad-point average in finance). He anchored an offensive line which powered Nebraska to its fifth NCAA rushing crown of the 1980s at 382.3 yards per game, and helped I-back Ken Clark to the third-best season ever for a Husker runner at 1,487 yards. Young and his linemates helped Nebraska rank fifth nationally in scoring offense (39.5 points per game) and seventh in total offense (477.9 yards per game). He suffered a knee strain in practice three days before the season opener, and was forced to miss the Aug. 27 Kickoff Classic vs. Texas A&M. He played, but did not start, the following week vs. UtahState, then started every game after that.
Sophomore (1987)
Young moved to center from guard in the spring, but missed nearly all four weeks of spring practice because of a broken leg. He came back full strength in the fall, though, and became the first true sophomore to start on the offensive line in 14 years since Rik Bonness in 1973, and earned second-team All-Big 8 honors from both wire services, as well as the first of his GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. He was the junior member of an offensive line that helped Nebraska rank second in the NCAA in total offense (489.0 yards per game), third in rushing (373.5) and third in scoring (38.5 points per game).
Freshman (1986)
Recruited out of RobertE.LeeHigh School in Midland, Young began practicing with the varsity during his first week on campus in August, and played guard for both the varsity and freshmen teams. He saw enough playing time with the varsity to become the first true freshmen to earn a letter on the offensive line since freshmen eligibility was restored in 1972.
Before Nebraska (MidlandLeeHigh School)
An all-state offensive guard for Coach Jack Tayrien, he helped lead his team to a 10-3 record and the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs in 1985. Midland Lee, incidentally, is the same high school which produced 1979 Husker All-America tight end Junior Miller.
Personal
Finance major. The son of Jake and Barbara Young, he has a sister, Erin. Jake was born March 22, 1968, at El Paso, Texas.