USC’s Young Goes Into the Hall Today

When tight end Charles Young arrived at USC in 1969, it did not take long for an assistant coach to tag him with the nickname “Tree.”

“He said, ‘Hey, Young, you’re catching everything in those long arms, just like a tree,’ ” Young recalled.

Today, Young will put down roots in the College Football Hall of Fame as part of a 14-member Division I-A class, elected in 2004, that will be enshrined during ceremonies in South Bend, Ind.

Young, a unanimous 1972 All-American who played 13 seasons in the NFL, said he could not have picked a better year for enshrinement.

“When I left USC, we were national champions,” he said. “And going in, we still are.”

Young, now a minister in Seattle, was the leading receiver on an undefeated 1972 Trojan team that beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and is regarded as among the best in college football history.

Quarterback Mike Rae directed an offense that included Young, All-American fullback Sam Cunningham, All-American tackle Pete Adams, running back Anthony Davis -- elected this year to the college Hall of Fame -- and receiver Lynn Swann, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“God blessed me with talent, and I had great teammates,” said Young, who caught 23 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns his senior year. “With a cast of characters such as these gentlemen, my job was easy.”

Rae recalled that the 6-foot-4 Young just made it look that way.

“His hands were as big as my car,” Rae said. “He was always the guy to go to -- they just couldn’t cover him. I could throw the ball anywhere and he could catch it.”

Young was chosen sixth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1973 NFL draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and also played for the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.

Today, Young runs a learning center in Seattle for at-risk youths. Three of his five children attended USC, including daughter Candace, a member of the Trojans’ 2001 NCAA championship track and field team.

The Division I-A class to be inducted today also includes 1989 Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware of Houston, California quarterback Joe Kapp, Ohio State defensive back Jack Tatum, Penn State running back Lydell Mitchell, Southern Mississippi punter Ray Guy and Brigham Young coach LaVell Edwards.

Other inductees are running back Bob Anderson, Army; middle guard Tony Casillas, Oklahoma; linebacker Frank Emanuel, Tennessee; guard and linebacker Wayne Harris, Arkansas; tight end Jim Mandich, Michigan; defensive tackle Tracy Rocker, Auburn; and coach George Welsh, Navy and Virginia.