Bucknell University Athletics
Former Bucknell Football Star George Young Passes Away
12/10/2001 7:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 10, 2001
LEWISBURG, Pa. - George Young, a 1952 Bucknell University graduate and an All-America football player for the Bison, passed away late Saturday after a short illness at the age of 71. Young went on to play one season with the National Football League's Dallas Texans before becoming one of the NFL's top executives, where most notably he built the New York Giants into a two-time Super Bowl winner.
Young earned Little All-America honors in 1951 on the Bucknell team that went 9-0, the last Bison team to finish a season undefeated. This was the 50th anniversary of that team's achievement, and the squad was honored during Bucknell's Homecoming festivities this fall. Young was a three-year starter on the Bison's defensive line, he served as co-captain of the 1951 team and was inducted into the Bucknell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.
A native of Baltimore, Young broke into the NFL's executive ranks with the Baltimore Colts in 1968 and held several positions within that organization before moving to the Miami Dolphins as director of personnel and pro scouting in 1974. He was named general manager of the Giants in 1979, serving 19 years with the team and helping it to Super Bowl titles following the 1986 and 1990 seasons. Most recently, he served as the NFL's vice president of football operations. Young won the NFL's Executive of the Year Award an unprecedented five times.
For more on George Young, see NFL.com's coverage.
