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).
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.
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."
Early life Jack Youngblood was born in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Herbert J. and Kay Youngblood. He has two sisters, Paula and Lynn. Youngblood attended Monticello-Jefferson County High School in Monticello, Florida, graduating in 1967. As an offensive lineman and linebacker, he was a starter on offense and defense and team captain of the state champion Tigers, earning All-State honors in 1966 after recording 70 tackles. He was also All-Big Bend, All-Conference and the Big Bend Linemen of the Year and the Outstanding Lineman for the Tigers that season while leading a defense that shutout seven opponents and allowed ten touchdowns in 12 games, including the state playoffs. He was a four-year letterman in football and also played basketball at M-JC High as well as participating in 4-H, Student Council, and Key Club International.
Youngblood was named to Florida's All-Time High school football team by Sports Illustrated in 1989. In November 2007, he was recognized as one of the state of Florida's thirty-three all-time greatest high school football players when he was voted to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century High School football team.
College career At the University of Florida, Youngblood was a brother of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity (Alpha Omega chapter), and was a three-year varsity letterman for coach Ray Graves and coach Doug Dickey's Florida Gators football teams from 1968 to 1970.2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 83, 87, 91, 96, 102–103, 186 (2011). Retrieved September 1, 2011. Youngblood had entered school at 195 pounds and put on 10 pounds a year through weight-lifting, finishing around 245 pounds. Youngblood and his teammates were part of the testing for what became Gatorade, a beverage created by doctors Robert Cade and Dana Shires, designed to help Gator athletes who had to practice and play in Central Florida heat. Said Youngblood, "Dr. Cade began experimenting with Gatorade my freshman year. He tried to kill us all! That first stuff was lethal! It was thick, like syrup, and had an aftertaste. Then, it started to look like milk."
As a freshman, Youngblood played defensive end, wearing number 52, for the Gator freshman team. It was his first experience on the defensive line, after playing linebacker in high school. As a sophomore, Youngblood played defensive end and defensive tackle (recording 24 tackles and four sacks) while also handling the kicking chores for the Gators, kicking a career-long 42-yard field goal to provide the three-point winning margin in his first collegiate game which was against Air Force.
In 1969, Youngblood was part of a 9–1–1 Gators team that upset the Tennessee Volunteers in the Gator Bowl in coach Ray Graves's final game as coach at Florida. Youngblood played a key role in the Gator Bowl recording nine tackles and forcing a fumble. Youngblood first gained national attention after an October 4, 1969, five-sack performance 21–6 win versus instate rival Florida State University. He set a school record for sacks (14) in 1969 and led the teams' defensive linemen with 66 tackles.
In 1970, Youngblood was recognized as a first-team All-American, while recording 58 tackles and leading the team with 10 sacks to finish his Gator career with 29 quarterback sacks. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy following the 1970 season and was voted the 1970 SEC lineman of the year. Youngblood was also named to the SEC All-Conference team in 1970, which ended three winning seasons while at Florida. He was also the 1970 recipient of Florida's Fergie Ferguson Award, which goes to the senior who displays outstanding leadership, character, and courage. His performance in the Georgia-Florida rivalry earned him a spot in the Florida–Georgia Game Hall of Fame as well. In the 1970 edition of the game, Florida trailed Georgia by seven points and the Georgia offense had driven to Florida's one-yard line, Youngblood stopped a Georgia running back short of the goal line and forced him to fumble and then recovered the loose ball beginning a rally that gained a come-from-behind 24–17 victory.
Some regard Youngblood, who was considered to be an excellent pass rusher, as the best defensive lineman in Gators history as well as one of the top five players in the University of Florida's football program. When Time magazine chose him for their 1970 All-America Team, it said of Youngblood: "Deceptively fast for his size, he reads screens and swing passes so adroitly that he intimidates quarterbacks by his mere presence." His coach Doug Dickey told The Sporting News, "He is difficult to move when you run at him, has the speed and agility to pursue down the line of scrimmage, and the strength and quickness to rush the passer." In one of a series of articles written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006, Youngblood was ranked as the No. 5 all-time greatest player for the Florida Gators.
Youngblood graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1972.
NFL career
Youngblood was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft. He was the 20th overall pick in that draft and signed a 3-year $105,000 contract including a $30,000 signing bonus. That season, he backed up Deacon Jones at left defensive end and started four games when Jones was sidelined with a severely sprained arch. He was named All-Rookie by Football Digest and after the season Jones was traded to the San Diego Chargers. In 1972, the left defensive end position was Youngblood's as he led the Rams defensive linemen in tackles with 70, and started 11 of the 14 games he played, recording six sacks.
In 1973, Youngblood was a Second-team All-pro selection and went to the first of his seven Pro Bowls and led the Rams with 16.5 sacks. The Ram defense led the NFL in fewest yards allowed and fewest rushing yards. He was voted the Rams defensive lineman of the year by the Rams Alumni Association. Beginning in the 1973 season, the Rams added the unrelated Jim Youngblood to its roster, so from that time on, both Youngbloods had the unique distinction of having their entire name on the back of their jerseys, the given name appearing above the family name. The following year, 1974, the Rams again led the NFL in rushing defense and Youngblood led the Rams with 15 sacks while being voted a consensus First-team All-Pro and being named to his second Pro Bowl. The Rams advanced to the NFC Championship game, losing 14–10 to the Minnesota Vikings.
Youngblood was honored as the NFC Defensive Player of the Year by United Press International in 1975 and Pro Football Weekly named Youngblood the NFL defensive lineman of the year. For the third consecutive season Youngblood led the Rams in sacks (15) and was named to the Pro Bowl and a consensus All-pro again, repeating his 1974 honors. In a December 1975, 35-23 playoff win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Youngblood pass-rushed Cardinals offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf, penetrated into the backfield, then tipped and intercepted a pass by Jim Hart, returning the interception 47 yards for a touchdown. Later in the game, Youngblood forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Fred Dryer, blocked an extra point attempt, and sacked Hart to stop a Cardinals drive.
Youngblood repeated his NFC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1976 while co-leading the Rams in sacks with 14.5, being named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, and being a consensus first-team All-Pro for the third straight season. The following year, 1977, Youngblood was voted to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and a consensus All-NFC selection and second-team All-Pro while leading the Rams in sacks for the fifth straight season. In 1978, the Rams led the NFL in total defense and Youngblood was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl and was a consensus first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in five years.
One of the athletic feats for which Youngblood is best known is that of playing in the 1979 playoffs, including Super Bowl XIV, with a fractured left fibula. He also played in the 1980 Pro Bowl with the injured leg, a week after the Super Bowl. In the playoffs, Youngblood sacked Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach near the sideline in the waning moments of the divisional playoff game versus the Cowboys. Playing with the fractured leg was noted by Sports Illustrated in their Top 10 list of athletes playing in pain. For that and other achievements Jack was dubbed the "John Wayne of football" by Jim Hanifan, which was echoed by Hall of Fame coach John Madden. The NFL Network series NFL Top 10 selected Youngblood's performance in the 1979 playoffs as top on its list of the "Gutsiest Performances" of all time.