No. 2 Purdue receiver: Dave Young
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
Before there was Dustin Keller, there was Dave Young.
In 1980, Young’s All-American senior season, he became the first tight end to lead the nation in receptions per game, hauling in 70 passes for 959 yards and nine touchdowns as a top target for Mark Herrmann.
“He was way ahead of his time,” Purdue play-by-play man Tim Newton said. “In a period where tight ends were primarily used as blockers, he could not only catch the ball, but had the ability to stretch the defense. His athletic abilities were off the chart.”
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Young was all-Big Ten in 1979 and 1980. He still ranks second in Purdue history in touchdown receptions with 27, impressive when you consider how often Purdue has thrown the ball since. He had 148 yards receiving against Indiana in 1980.
“He would’ve easily been an All-American today like he was back then,” Doug Griffiths, Indy Sports Legends correspondent and former Gold and Black editor, said. “Linebackers had great difficulty matching up with his size and athleticism and Jim Young knew exactly how to utilize him in the Big Ten era of three yards and a cloud of dust. By far the most lethal pass catching tight end the Big Ten had ever seen up until that time.”
Young was inducted into Purdue’s Hall of Fame in 2009.
