Former Falcons defensive line coach Bryant Young was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday night. Young had been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2013 and this was his second-time as a finalist.
Young and Norm Van Brocklin are the only Falcons coaches to be voted into the Hall of Fame. The Falcons have nine players enshrined, with Tony Gonzalez being the latest in 2019.
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Before coaching in the NFL, Young played 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The seventh overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft, Young was met with high expectations in his first year, especially on a team that was the class of the NFL in the '80s and '90s, but he delivered.
Young established himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the league, earning four pro-bowl selections and helping the 49ers to a Super Bowl win in his rookie season. He is still the franchise's all-time leader in sacks with 89.5 — 23 more than the next closest player.
After retiring in 2007, Young went into coaching. He made stops at The University of Notre Dame, San Jose State University, and the University of Florida before joining the Falcons as a defensive line coach in 2017.
In Atlanta, Young reunited with then-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, Young's position coach for a season in San Francisco. After two seasons with the Falcons in which the defensive line secured 76 sacks, Young stepped down to spend more time with his family.
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