Bryce Young addresses relationship with father, playing with older kids through childhood
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young could make history on Saturday night by winning the Heisman Trophy. If he does, Young will become the first Alabama quarterback to ever bring home the Heisman.
Young has thrown for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns this season with just four interceptions. He is one of four Heisman finalists alongside Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett.
As Young grew up, his dad pushed him at an early age to compete with and against the best. He always played against older kids, and those experiences helped shape Young into the Heisman favorite that he is today after his great season for Alabama.
“I wouldn’t say I felt out of place,” Young said. “I’ve kind of always been around older people. I guess throughout my experiences, it became more natural. For me, it was just a great opportunity. I’ve always felt like I push myself to try to be around the best. I try to push myself to be the best version of myself, and to do that you have to surround yourself with people that challenge you. My dad was someone who instilled that in me.
“It was funny because at that age — nowadays, that’s more and more common, people starting way younger. But at that time it was crazy, and my dad was getting all this backlash. People were like, ‘what are you doing? You’re having this kid that’s so young working with all these older people.’ For me, it was kind of normal. It’s what I was used to. You start to kind of see it catch on now, it’s more normalized. But back then it was this crazy thing.”
Young prioritizes Alabama winning over Heisman, other individual accolades
Young has led Alabama to the top overall seed in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide take on Cincinnati in the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup. Heisman or not, Young is happy to see Alabama winning because ultimately, he cares more about that than bringing home individual awards.
“One of the big reasons why Alabama was always first for me,” Young said of the Heisman. “I knew I would never have to think or worry about individual accolades or awards or whatever. All I had to do was what I originally wanted to do and what I have always been doing, and that’s thinking about the team and trying to win. At a place like Alabama, when you get to play against the best and compete with the best, individual stuff kind of comes on its own, it’s not something you have to focus on. For me, being here is a huge honor. A huge blessing. It means a lot to me. But for me, the ultimate goal is for us, as a team to reach our goals and keep winning.”