Tempe, AZ – Sun Devil senior Chris Young has been the heartbeat of the top ranked Sun Devil defense all season, pumping energy into his teammates with his aggressive play at the linebacker position. As nice of a guy as he is, Young loves to inflict damage on the field.

A dynamic force in the middle, Chris Young (6′ / 244 lbs) intimidates the opposition with his big time hitting, solid technique and Tillman inspired toughness. He has the quality character and work ethic that Coach Graham wants from his players. And because of that, he has also earned the Pat Tillman #42 practice jersey multiple times in 2013.

Young has totaled 6.5 sacks this year, including 3 against UCLA to help secure the Pac-12 south. He also has a team leading 95 tackles with a season high 14 at Utah. His production will be missed next season, but there is still work to be done during his final two games at ASU.

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Sun Devil Chris Young is going to be relentless against Stanford tonight.

DHD: How has this ASU team evolved and gotten better since the loss to Stanford earlier this season?

Chris Young: “The last time we played Stanford, our emotional level was low coming out in the first half. It was a big game at that point in the season, but we really didn’t know who we were as a team yet. We’ve definitely matured more since then. Understanding our abilities and talents, and learning how to play together as a unit has been one of the biggest things we have improved on. Taking that into games and coming out on top has definitely brought us closer.”

DHD: Although you had a respectable 10 tackles against Stanford earlier this season, you also had zero sacks. What do you personally need to improve this time around?

Chris Young: “Stanford is a big team and we’ve just got to come out and play fast and physical on defense. It’s about making plays, being in the right place at the right time and taking care of our individual assignments. Just being relentless will be the main thing I focus on as an individual.”

DHD: The coaching staff has done an excellent job preparing the team for each game. How have they helped you get better throughout the season?

Chris Young: “The coaching staff definitely knows what they’re doing with all the schemes. One of the things that they’ve been good at is making adjustments at halftime. Coach Graham also tells us to have more passion and fire when we come out in the second half. We’ve been able to do that and have success.”

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Young plans to continue his stellar play against against Stanford tonight. He will be on a relentless mission to stop Cardinal players in their tracks and make them think twice before they square up with him in the open field. Slowing down Stanford’s powerful rushing attack will be a tall order, but Young is a determined, big-time player hungry to avenge ASU’s loss in Palo Alto earlier this season. 

This will be his Chris Young’s game at Sun Devil Stadium. He’s focused on doing a lot of business in the Cardinal backfield tonight, and will surely break 100 tackles on the season. His performance in this Pac-12 Championship game could bring the Sun Devils back to the Rose Bowl. When asked about his message to ASU fans he replied, “We’re bringing back the Pac-12 championship.”