Bryant Young

Joining the San Francisco 49ers after an accomplished collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, Bryant Young was expected to anchor the interior of the team’s defensive line.

He met that challenge and also anchored the locker room with a presence that was reflected in the numerous team-issued awards he piled up over his 14 NFL seasons.

The 49ers selected Bryant with the seventh overall pick of the 1994 NFL Draft. His impact was immediate: six sacks in 16 starts and a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team.

By 1996, he had blossomed into a dominant force at defensive tackle, turning in his best season statistically: 84 tackles, four passes defensed, two safeties and 11.5 sacks, a figure that led the team and shared the NFL lead for all defensive tackles. As a result, he earned first-team All-Pro honors and the first of his four Pro Bowl nods.

He also received the team’s Len Eshmont Award, given annually since 1957 for “inspirational and courageous play.” Considered the 49ers’ most prestigious honor, Bryant won the award eight times (1996, 1998-2000 and 2004-07). No other member of the 49ers has won it more than twice.

In 1998, Bryant was well on his way to another magnificent season. In 12 games, he had registered 9.5 sacks – best in the NFL among defensive tackles – along with eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. But a devastating leg injury ended his season – and threatened his career.

Bryant rebounded in stunning fashion, however, and returned to action by the 1999 season opener. He recorded 11 sacks and 19 tackles for loss on his way to winning the Comeback Player of the Year Award from both the AP and PFWA. He also was named the 49ers’ winner of the league-wide Ed Block Courage Award and won the team’s Matt Hazeltine Award for inspirational play.

For his career, Bryant totaled 89.5 sacks and three safeties. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.