Fredd Young, the former Seattle Seahawks linebacker who rattled off four straight Pro Bowl seasons in the 1980s, died Tuesday at 64.
His death was announced Wednesday by New Mexico State, where he starred in college, and by the Seahawks. No cause of death was disclosed.
Young’s football path started in Dallas, where he played both football and basketball at Woodrow Wilson High School before becoming a standout at New Mexico State. He spent four seasons with the Aggies from 1980-83, developed into a four-year starter and earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 1982.
The next year, he piled up 140 tackles and 12 sacks, which helped him land honorable mention All-American recognition. By the end of his college run, he had finished with 393 tackles.
Seattle took Young in the third round, 76th overall, of the 1984 NFL Draft, and he made an immediate impression on special teams. As a rookie, he went to the Pro Bowl and became the first player who was not a return specialist to earn Pro Bowl status as a special-teams player.
He shifted into the starting linebacker job in his second season and kept the Pro Bowl streak going through 1987. His best year in Seattle came in that final season, when he posted nine sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception in 13 games to earn first-team All-Pro honors.
Young spent four seasons with the Seahawks before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 1988 in exchange for two first-round draft picks after a contract dispute. He played three seasons for Indianapolis and retired after the 1990 season. Over seven NFL seasons, he played in 101 regular-season games, started 79 and totaled 21 sacks and three interceptions.
The Seahawks named Young one of the top 50 players in franchise history in 2025 as part of the team’s 50th-season celebration. New Mexico State inducted him into its athletics Hall of Fame in 1991 and later added him to its Football Ring of Honor.
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