University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Justin Young
October 09, 2019 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
A long time ago, when his body was much, much different, Georgia defensive end Justin Young used to be a running back. Now a 6-foot-4, 275-pound fifth-year senior from Loganville, Ga., Young was a speedy ballcarrier before he grew out of the position around middle school.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Young in his deep and melodious voice talked about his early days in football, his most memorable play, music, wings and much, much more. Here's some of what he had to say:Â
Frierson: What is the best play of your athletic career? Is there one that comes to mind?
Young: I think I would have to say, it was my senior year of high school (at Grayson) and we were playing Shiloh. ... It was the opening drive, a 16-play drive, that started on their own 20 and they marched all the way down to about our own 15.
We (the defense) were gassed, it was a long drive, and they did a screen pass that I read perfectly. I read it and my homeboy had tipped the ball in the air, so when then ball went up in the air I judged it right. One of their guys and I had jumped up for it, I got it, came back down and started going 80 yards the other way — slow as molasses! [Laughs.] I was so tired, but I was able to score on that play.
After the game, my dad said, "I've never seen you run so dang slow, but you scored and that's all that matters." [Laughs.] I think that was one of the greatest moments of my career.
Frierson: You probably haven't scored too many touchdowns since then.
Young: [Laughs.] Not here, not yet. I always see myself doing that, though, just envisioning myself making a big play or getting a touchdown, a scoop-and-score.
Like in the Notre Dame game, early in the first half and J.R. Reed had tipped the ball and I was about to scoop-and-score. I picked it up and they said it wasn't a fumble, it was a batted ball, and I was about to go hauling my butt all the way down that field. [Laughs.] That would have been a great moment right there, but it was good being able to touch the ball again during the game.
Frierson: It's funny, here you are playing this game for so long and you practically never get to touch the ball. That doesn't happen in any other sport.
Young: Exactly. It's crazy because I started playing football when I was 7 years old and I started out as a running back. That was my first position ever and I loved it. Even though Michael Vick was a quarterback, I always wanted to be like Michael Vick because of how he ran and scrambled.Â
I chose No. 7 and my first handoff, I took it to the house. After that I got a little chunkier, a little bigger, and I was like, I don't think this position is for me, let me move to linebacker, let me move to D-line. I was all over the place.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Young: Oh, man, I could eat wings almost every day. I love the honey hot wings from American Deli ... I think I could eat wings and fries every single day. [Laughs.] I try not to because I know that's not good for me as an athlete.
Frierson: What is it about wings? I do a ton of these interviews and wings is the most popular answer — a few years ago Natrez Patrick was sitting in that chair and he went on and on about wings and the lemon-pepper sprinkles that he puts on them.Â
Young: [Laughs.] I like the honey hot flavor, that's my favorite flavor; a lot of people are going to hate me for saying this but I'm not a big lemon-pepper guy. A lot of people love that wing but it's not my taste.
I love the honey hots and it's got to be the flats, I don't like the drums, at all, so every time I order at American Deli I try to pay that extra dollar just to get all flats. The drums have a certain amount of good meat on it but it's not the texture I want.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there something creative you do or wish you could do?
Young: I love music and I used to play the bass in middle school. I haven't played it in a long time but I love instruments, I love beats, I love music — I kind of saw myself pursuing my career in that one day.
Frierson: You've got the voice for it. If nothing else, you could do radio or something with that voice of yours.
Young: I appreciate that. Anything music-like, I love it.
Frierson: When you said the bass, are you talking bass guitar or the big standup bass?
Young: I'm talking about the big, big, big guy; my mom wanted me to be involved in some type of after-school activity and so I was like, I want to be different, I don't want to be like everybody else. I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone.
Everybody knew I was a football player and seeing a guy like that going into the orchestra room, everybody's faces are like, who is this guy, he must be in the wrong room or something. I was like, I'm in the right place, I'm trying to learn how to play music and read music. It was a good experience; I never carried it on to high school but sometimes I wish I did.
Frierson: What else do you like to do?
Young: Not a lot of people really know this but I draw a little bit. Nothing specific or anything, just drawing or coloring just to get my mind off of things. I'm not saying I'm the best at it. [Laughs.] I'm not going to be selling any artwork anytime soon, but I just like to do that to put my mind at peace and take my mind off of football and school. If I'm feeling stressed that's my go-to, to just relax and freehand and draw and color.
Frierson: If you could go anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you go and who would you take with you?
Young: Not a lot of people know this either but I'm a big Paris Saint-Germain fan, which is a soccer team.
(PSG is the top soccer club in France and usually among the best in the world.)
Frierson: Oh, I know it. I've been following them for a while. They have probably the best uniforms and logo in all of sports. I have a PSG Nike jacket at home.
Young: Yep, I have Neymar's Brazil jersey, I have his PSG jersey, the navy-blue one, the black one — they're awesome jerseys. And if I was able to go anywhere, it would definitely be to Paris so go watch a (PSG) game with my girlfriend.
She knows how much of a fan I am, how big a FIFA (video game) fan I am and how much of a Neymar fan I am, so being able to go to a game, even though I might not understand what they're saying [laughs], it's OK though because we're all cheering for the same team.
Frierson: Did you ever play soccer? And how did you get into PSG?
Young: I never really played soccer but I started playing the game FIFA two years ago. I had no game system when I came to college and eventually I was like, I need to get something so I'm not going back to the room and being bored. ...
Once I downloaded FIFA to my Xbox, I just got hooked on it. I started playing the story modes and playing online. ... Two years ago I started playing the game on Xbox and then watching the games.
Frierson: It seems unusual that you become a fan of the video game first and then get hooked on the real thing.
Young: At first I wasn't watching the actual game, just playing the FIFA game, and then I started watching the World Cup. I was interested in it and I was like, I actually know what they're talking about because I played the game. When you know more about a sport, know about the fouls and penalties and things like that, I feel like it makes it more fun. When you don't know anything about it, it's like, OK, why am I watching this?
I feel like today's generation (of soccer players), too, those are some of the most athletic guys I've ever seen in my life.Â
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
