Full Circle

Sporting News, The, Sept 20, 1999 by Dennis Dillon

The 49ers' Bryant Young conquered his painful rehabilitation by visualizing himself back on the field. Months later, in the season opener, his vision becomes reality.

I.

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC, STOCKTON, CALIF. AUGUST 10, 1999, 9 A.M.

Day 16 of training camp for the 49ers looks much like the previous 15 days. On the main practice field, Steve Young and the other quarterbacks throw passes to Jerry Rice, J.J. Stokes and Terrell Owens, who are spoiling the morning for the defensive backs trying to cover them. Every long completion brings a loud, collective cheer followed by applause from the thousand or so fans who fill the bleachers.

The sound of the cheers cascades over to a corner of another field, perhaps 100 yards away, where 11 defensive linemen run through their drills inconspicuously. The fans are too distant to notice the "new" player at practice, the one in the cardinal No. 97 jersey. They aren't aware that today is a major milepost on Bryant Young's long road back.

Eight months and 10 days since he suffered a catastrophic leg injury, Young, 27, one of the NFL's premier defensive players and the inspirational leader of the 49ers' defense, has executed a remarkable comeback. A few weeks ago, the team was hoping he would be playing defensive tackle again by the middle of the '99 season. Now, there is earnest talk that he can participate in the season opener in Jacksonville.

At 8:40 a.m., Young had walked out of the locker room carrying his gold helmet with the distinctive "SF" logo on the sides and trotted to the practice field, joining his teammates for the first time since camp opened.

He had been on the physically unable to perform list, limited to dressing in T-shirt and shorts and practicing individual conditioning and agility drills on the side of the field. So dose, yet so far.

Now, Young stands another step closer to being a complete football player again. And he is about to get his first test.

Five large, red tackling dummies are arranged in formation for a pass-rushing drill: three along the line of scrimmage, each separated by a couple of yards, and two in the backfield, five yards away. This will be a two-man contest of quickness and agility. The idea is for the players to rush past the outside dummies in the front line, touch one of the dummies in the back, then race back to the middle dummy in the front.

The first match pits Young vs. Marvin Washington, an 11-year veteran who starts at left defensive end. Washington looks over at Young and says, "B.Y., don't worry about this one." The smile on his face is belied by the challenging tone in his voice.

The two players bend down in three-point stances. Defensive line coach Dwaine Board blows his whistle. They burst past the front-line dummies, shove the dummies in the back, reverse field and sprint back to the one in the middle. Young wins by a step.

Later in the practice, as coach Steve Mariucci walks the sideline, he sees Young lying on his back, getting his legs stretched by a trainer.

"He's just so darn happy to be back in uniform," thinks Mariucci, who is darn happy to have Young back. Mariucci walks over to Young and bends down to shake his hand. Suddenly, he remembers the last time he saw Young supine on a football field.

II.

3COM PARK, SAN FRANCISCO NOVEMBER 30, 1998, 8 P.M.

"Monday Night Football" ... 49ers lead the Giants, 24-7 ... 7:35 left in the fourth quarter ... Giants have the ball, first-and-10 at the San Francisco 20.

Quarterback Kent Graham drops back Can't find a receiver. Avoids defensive linemen Chris Doleman and Junior Bryant Steps up and takes off.

Young and Giants guard Ron Stone are in hand-to-hand combat along the line of scrimmage. Young sees Graham running. Disengages Stone. Runs after Graham.

Graham spins left, 360 degrees. Young grabs Graham's left arm. Graham goes down. Young still holds on, right leg planted on the ground.

Linebacker Ken Norton dives headfirst over Graham. Crown of helmet slams into Young's fight leg. Tibia and fibula snap in two. Leg is bent backward in grotesque position. Young tumbles over Graham. Lands on ground. Grabs leg. Screams.

"It was a loud bellow. R came from the lungs," says 49ers linebacker Anthony Peterson, one of Young's best friends. He was on the field and had to cover his eyes when he saw Young's leg. "It was repulsive."

Doctors and trainers rush to Young's side. Mariucci comes out, kneels and grabs Young's fight hand. He tries to comfort Young and distract him from looking at his leg. "Hang on, buddy, you're going to be OK," Mariucci says.

Young's wife, Kristin, is sitting in the third row behind the 49ers' bench. At first, she doesn't know who is hurt, but when she sees Board scream a profanity and throw down his baseball cap, she knows it's a defensive lineman. Then, when more than five seconds elapse, she suspects it is her husband.

"Bryant has a five-second window," Kristin says. "I know if he's not up in five seconds, something is wrong." (They came up with the five-second signal after Young suffered a severely pinched nerve in his neck and momentarily lost the feeling in his arm during a playoff game in Green Bay after the 1996 season.)