JACKSON, Miss. (May 9, 2023) – Known as a "shut-down cornerback" during his playing days at Alcorn State University, Roynell Young is among the slate of individuals who will be honored by the Southwestern Athletic Conference Alumni Association (Association) during its annual Legends Awards and Roast on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The event, in its 20th year, will be held at the Embassy Suites Ridgeland on 200 Township Place.
The Association's Legends Awards and Roast honors former student-athletes as well as former or current coaches, athletics administrators or staff members who have had positive impacts on the historic conference. Young will receive the Dennis E. Thomas Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the Association.
Young, a native of New Orleans, La, entered Alcorn State in 1976 and quickly established himself as one of the Braves' all-time great cornerbacks. He says that right from the start, his legendary coach, Marino H. Casem, taught him some important lessons.
"Anyone who played for Coach Casem knew that if they made it through one of his practices, they had depth of character," reflected Young. "I saw many footlockers slide down the hall and some players quit, but my attitude was that I was hungry for opportunity. I was determined to be the last man standing and I was not going to quit."
Indeed, Young didn't quit, and his persistence and determination paid off for him. By the time he had completed his playing tenure at Alcorn State, he had racked up 20 interceptions, 144 tackles and 48 pass deflections. He helped lead the Braves to the 1979 SWAC championship, a year in which the Braves' defense only allowed 108 total yards per game.
In 1979, Young was named All-SWAC and NAIA All-America. He was also named Black College Defensive Player of the Year by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network and he was selected to play in the 1980 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He says the three greatest lessons he learned at Alcorn State centered on preparation, accountability and critical thinking.
"Procrastination is the thief of time, so I learned how to embrace hard work and understanding of the process that goes with preparation, which is to study, examine, analyze and evaluate before execution," says Young. "Accountability is achieved through your behaviors on how you act when no one is watching. You take charge and make no excuses. Learning to critically think under pressure gives you the advantage of better execution. You fly above the fray."
Those principles obviously worked well for Young during his matriculation at Alcorn State, as he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round (23rd pick) of the 1980 NFL Draft and became the first Alcorn State football player to be drafted in the first round of the draft. As an NFL rookie, he played in 16 games, including Super Bowl XV.
In his second year as a pro in 1981, Young was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Over a nine-year playing career, all with the Eagles, he amassed 23 career interceptions and started 109 games at cornerback. He was voted the Eagles' Defensive MVP in 1986. He retired at the end of the 1988 season.
Among his many awards and honors, Young was voted into the Alcorn State Sports Hall of Fame, the SWAC Hall of Fame (2017) and the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2021)
A man of extraordinary vision and with a passion for mentoring and uplifting disadvantaged youths, Young founded Pro-Vision, Inc. in 1990, a youth and community development organization. Originally a youth mentoring program, Young grew Pro-Vision to include an all-male charter middle school, now a co-educational primary and secondary school. Pro-Vision has evolved into an organization which works with young people in general, both young men and young women. He said he founded Pro- Vision as a result of his left experiences.
"Pro-Vision started because I had a chip on my shoulder and felt that my purpose was aligned with providing opportunities for those who were overlooked and passed by," says Young. "The Pro-Vision movement helps promote equitable and more fair opportunities to those who are underrepresented. It is the external manifestation of what I believe internally. We believe in a hand-up, not a handout.
"That was instilled by Coach Casem," Young continued. "Everything achieved at Alcorn by Coach Casem was earned, not given. He did not believe in giving 'participation medals.' It was all about hard work."
Although the Legends Awards and Roast is listed as a sellout, individuals still interested in attending the event may email the Association's Business Manager/Treasurer, Alvin Moore, to be placed on a Wait List should any seats become available. Moore's email address is amprint1949@aol.com.
Proceeds from the Legends Awards and Roast benefit the SWAC Alumni Association Degree Completion Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to student-athletes in the conference whose eligibility has expired and who are within 30 hours of graduating.
ABOUT THE SWAC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The purpose of the SWAC Alumni Association, which was founded on December 10, 1999 in Birmingham, Ala., is to support Southwestern Athletic Conference events, promote the conference's athletics heritage and help preserve its legacy of competitive excellence. Former student-athletes from any SWAC-sponsored sport and from all member institutions are eligible for membership, as are current and former coaches, athletics administrators and staff members as well as game officials, employees of the conference office and supporters of SWAC athletics.
