Bryan wrote:
Do any of the CFL guys on this forum remember Jim Young? I found out that he spent two years riding the bench with the Minnesota Vikings in the mid-60's before starting in the CFL, but I couldn't find anything about how/why he was good and what type of RB/WR he was.
Jim Young was mentioned a few times in a "CFL's Dirtiest Players of All Time" thread on riderfans.com last July. Former Saskatchewan Linebacker Wayne Shaw (1961-1972) occasionally contributes some interesting perspectives from his playing days. He had this tidbit about Jim Young:
"Jim Young had a reputation of playing dirty and deserved the well known nickname during his time of Dirty 30. He blindsided me from the side or back one time and broke my nose with his forearm or fist. It was the only time I remember wanting to fight during my 12 years of pro football, but I had blood all over my face & eyes so had to go off & get cleaned up. Sometime later in the same game Bob Kosid or Ted Duchinski intercepted a pass behind me and I looked downfield and to my great pleasure there was Dirty 30. I used all the skills I learned playing 1 year of offensive tackle for Hilltops and I gave Young a perfect block which knocked him right down. That didn't seem to be quite enough punishment for my broken nose so while he was getting up I gave hime a really good "ATch or knee to the nuts" and down he went again. A Ref was standing there with a flag in his hand ready to throw it and I hollered at him " Where the hell were you when Young dirty 30 broke my nose? He looked at my face and helmut covered with blood and put the flag back in his pocket. I don't ever remember Young trying any dirty plays on me after that and many years later after we both had been retired for years we had a few laughs about it at some sports dinner. Eagle Keys came up to me after watching the game film and asked me why I beat Jim Young up so bad, Eagles old friend & teammate Jackie Parker was the GM of the Lions at the time and was concerned about Young. I answered Eagle and told him Young had broke my nose with a blindside hit. Eagle didn't say another word he understood & just walked away."
A couple other random comments from that thread:
"Part of Young's dirtiness was calculated. He loved nothing better than to cuff an unsuspecting defender upside the head as he was trotting back to the huddle. He wanted the defenders to be more worried about getting even than covering him."
"My grandfather on my mother's side used to talk about Dirty 30. He knew a ref who reffed his games and said that Young would try to hurt the refs by stepping on their foot. Maybe this factored into the non-penalty."
http://www.riderfans.com/forum/forum/ma ... f-all-time
Jim Young's autobiography (1974)
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1972 B.C. Lions CFL Illustrated Magazine/YB
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Jim Young - Minnesota Vikings 1965/1966
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