Jack Youngblood

Jack Youngblood
Color photo of Jack Youngblood, 51-year-old white man dressed in gold jacket, blue shirt, tie and sunglasses, giving his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in 2001.
Hall of Fame induction speech in 2001
No. 85
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1950-01-26) January 26, 1950 (age 74)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school:Monticello (FL) Jefferson Co.
College:Florida
NFL draft:1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:202
Games started:187
Sacks:24
Fumble recoveries:10
Safeties:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before playing professionally, Youngblood played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. He is considered among the best players Florida ever produced—a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and one of only six Florida Gators to be named to the Gator Football Ring of Honor.

After retiring as a player in 1985, Youngblood worked in the Rams' front office until 1991. He also worked in the front office of the Sacramento Surge of the World League (WLAF) from 1992 to 1993, and the Canadian Football League (CFL)'s Sacramento Gold Miners from 1993 to 1994. He was a vice-president, then president, of the Orlando Predators from 1995 until 1999. From 1999 through 2002, he served as the NFL's liaison for the Arena Football League (AFL).[1]

Youngblood has made forays into broadcasting (both radio and television), acting, and business, and has written an autobiography. He was a popular spokesperson for various products, and he has been consistently involved in charity work, starting in college, continuing throughout his NFL career, and remaining so today. Currently, Youngblood serves on the NFLPA Mackey-White Traumatic Brain Injury Committee.[2]

In 2014, Youngblood opened the Jack Youngblood Center for NeuroEnhancement in Orlando, Florida, which attempts to treat the symptoms of traumatic brain injury and offer care to patients in effort to restore normal brain function. Youngblood has stated, "The bonus with this therapy is that the time invested is minimal, while the results are extraordinary."[3]

  1. ^ Popvich, Mike. "Youngblood contributes to Arena League success". CantonRep.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
  2. ^ "NFL brain injury committee meets for first time". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 26, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Jack Youngblood Center for NeuroEnhancement". JYCNE.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.