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.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Backfield Rivalry Is About To Hit The NFL Stage
Notre Dames backfield tandem is already making its way into NFL storylines. Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love, who spent their college days sharing the spotlight in South Bend, opened their pro careers with encouraging first outings - Price with the Seattle Seahawks and Love with the Arizona Cardinals. Their next chapter comes quickly, with the two rookies set to line up against each other in an upcoming game, a fitting collision for a pair of backs who pushed one another long before either reached the league.
The matchup adds a little extra edge for Irish fans who watched the duo grow into one of the programs most intriguing backfield pairings. Their rivalry has always been a friendly one, and they already have a nod to the moment in mind: a jersey swap to mark their first NFL meeting. It is the kind of small but meaningful gesture that underscores how much the competition has meant, and how fast both players have gone from college teammates to opposing pros. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Faces An Early Test With New Names In Focus
Notre Dames early schedule has already put it in a familiar but demanding spot, lining up against multiple Big Ten opponents before the season gets too deep. At 2-0, the Fighting Irish have opened with enough momentum to keep attention high, but the next stretch brings a different kind of examination, with Michigan State and Purdue both offering the sort of physical, conference-style test that can expose where a team really stands.
The matchup layers make it especially interesting because Notre Dame is still operating as an independent while effectively measuring itself against Big Ten competition week after week. That means the focus falls not just on the teams record, but on which players can carry the load in these games and which opposing names can swing the tone of the matchup, turning early September into a useful snapshot of where Notre Dames season may be headed. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has An Early Season Question Fans Can't Ignore
Leonard Moores early-season profile keeps rising in ways that matter beyond the box score. The junior Notre Dame cornerback has already been named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, recognition that reflects the kind of off-field reputation programs like Notre Dame still value as much as on-field production. It is another reminder that the Irish have plenty going right as the season settles in.
On the field, Notre Dames case is just as strong, with the Irish sitting No. 3 in the SP+ ratings and No. 1 on offense after the early stretch of games. Even so, the bigger question fans cannot ignore is whether that profile can hold when the schedule eventually tightens, especially with the program also looking ahead to future marquee matchups like Nebraskas return to the slate in 2032 and 2033, the first meeting between the schools since 2001. For now, the Irish are stacking accomplishments, but the real test still waits down the road. [Read more 🡒]