Bryce Young on how playing against older kids shaped his football journey

Bryce Young has had stardom on his mind since he was a middle schooler. As an adolescent, Young was simply too good to play with his own age group. So, the Alabama star was in seventh grade punching above his weight class — playing against kids much older than him.

Perhaps it’s the secret to his success. When you’re as young as Young was playing against students readying for college, it’s impossible not to develop some mettle.

Now firmly positioned as a Heisman frontrunner, Young elaborated on his younger days.

“When I was younger, I was more comfortable, whether it be sports, especially through sports, just hanging around older kids,” stated Young. “When it came to playing older age groups, wanting to push myself, wanting to find the best competition. Wanting to be challenged. So that was always a big emphasis for me.”

If you’re a parent, opponent or teammate, seeing a player as young as Young was playing with an older crowd could cause hesitation. However, the Alabama quarterback revealed that it never really crossed his mind.

“To me, it wasn’t even like oh my gosh, I’m around people that are older. I’m playing up. It was something I was just kind of used to,” stated Young. “I feel like a lot of people kind of just, after a certain point, people get used to it, too. It wasn’t really a huge dynamic after maybe like initially meeting people and being around them.

“It was just friends. Teammates. Whatever it may be.”

No matter the age, Bryce Young has always been one of the best players on the field. Talent shines through, and Young may be the best example of that.

Young on being named Alabama’s MVP: ‘That means everything to me.’

Bryce Young’s football journey led him to Alabama, where he’s soared in every sense of the word. After being named a Heisman finalist, Young received an honor that’s perhaps more near and dear to his heart. His teammates named him Alabama’s Most Valuable Player and a permanent team captain heading into the College Football Playoff.

“That means everything to me,” Young said. “The fact that it came from my teammates, it came from my guys and to have the opportunity to win that award and also to be team captain, a permanent team captain … not a lot of people can have that honor, and that’s not something I take lightly at all. I understand that means a lot me. It’s something I take a lot of pride in, and again for it to come from my guys, my teammates – that makes it exponentially sweeter.

“It’s definitely a blessing for me and something I don’t take lightly at all.”

Bryce Young had an impossible task of following Mac Jones and an all-time great Alabama championship team. However, he’s proving the impossible is possible — blazing his own trail in Tuscaloosa.