Bryce Young isn’t even eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft, but his gridiron achievements certainly are pro-worthy. The Alabama quarterback became the fifth sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most outstanding player award.
Young, 20, also becomes the first Crimson Tide quarterback to win the Heisman, and it marks the second consecutive year an Alabama player has won the award.
“I’ve always been labeled as someone who’s not the prototype, being an African-American quarterback and being quote-unquote undersized and not being that prototype, I’ve always been ruled out and counted out,” Young stated during his acceptance speech.
The six feet and 194-pound field general has thrown for more than 4,300 yards this season with a 68 percent completion rate.
During the 2021 season, Young has passed for 43 touchdowns with just four intercep- tions, and he enjoys a 175.5 passer rating.
“People a lot of times have told me that I wasn’t going to be able to make it,” Young exclaimed. “And for me, it’s always been about not really proving them wrong but proving to myself what I can accomplish. So, I’ve always pushed myself to work the hardest, and I try my best to do all I can to maximize all that I can do. And thanks to the people around me and through the grace of God, I’ve been able to make it here, and I’m truly grateful for that.”
Young led the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record, including an explosive 41-24 victory over then No. 1 ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship. He broke the single game passing record, 559 yards against No. 22 Arkansas, and shattered SEC Championship record for total offense and passing yards after going 26 of 44 for 421 yards and three touchdowns during his first year as a starter.
Bryce is the 8th African American quarterback to win the award.
“The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) profoundly congratulates Bryce Young, the African American star quarterback of the University of Alabama, for winning the Heisman Trophy,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., said. “Young’s outstanding achievement on the football field epitomizes the genius and excellent talent of African American athletes in all sports.”
