Introduction
Ryan Young (born June 28, 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Kansas State University.
Early years
Young (nicknamed Big Mac) graduated from Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, in 1994. He played both-ways, receiving all-state and all-conference (twice) honors. He was a teammate of future NFL player Isaac Byrd. He practiced basketball and participated in the Choir.
He accepted a scholarship from Kansas State University, where he was named the starter at left tackle as a sophomore. From 1996 to 1998 he was named to the All-Big 12 team. He was a member of Kansas State's successful bowl teams, playing in the Alamo, Fiesta and Cotton Bowls.
Professional career
New York Jets
Young was selected in the seventh round (223rd overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He started 7 games at right tackle as a rookie, after Jason Fabini was lost for the season. The next two years he was the regular starter at right tackle.
Houston Texans
Young was selected by the Houston Texans through the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft. A groin and knee injuries limited his playing time to 9 games (8 starts) at right tackle. At the end of the year he was declared a free agent and did not accept the Texans contract offer.
Dallas Cowboys
On March 5, 2003, he was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys, reuniting him with his former Jets head coach Bill Parcells. He began the season as the right tackle starter, but suffered a right knee injury that although the Cowboys tried to manage, after starting 6 of the first 7 games, he could only appear in 4 additional games (2 starts). He was waived on March 2, 2004, because of his chronic knee condition.