All About Bryce Young’s Parents, Craig and Julie Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young faces high expectations, but his parents have always kept him in check.

The first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was raised by his father, Craig Young, a mental health therapist, and his mother, Julie Young, a former special education teacher. Craig and Julie married in July 1995 before having their only child six years later.

Bryce was born in Philadelphia, but spent most of his childhood in Pasadena, California. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner almost played college football close to home at the University of Southern California after committing to the school, but his parents supported his decision to attend the University of Alabama instead.

Although the rookie’s stature was commented on, as he was seen as a short 6-foot, 194-lb. guard, he had the unconditional love of his parents.

“My parents have always worked so I know they’re going to love me no matter what,” Bryce said CBS Sports in a November 2022 interview “I don’t have to be somebody; I don’t have to achieve anything to get their love or sympathy. I trust them and I know I can give them anything.”

So who are Bryce Young’s parents? Here’s everything there is to know about Craig and Julie Young.

Craig and Julie were married in 1995

Craig and Julie Young on their wedding day in July 1995.

Craig Young’s Instagram

Craig and Julie were married on July 29, 1995.

He often posts tender posts about his wife on social media, writing about their anniversary in 2022. According to his message, the couple had been in a relationship for three years before they became husband and wife.

“So, 27 years of marriage and 30 years together have passed. What a ride!!” Craig wrote on Instagram. “Like any ride, there were ups, downs, twists, turns, uncertainty, fear [and] joy, but above all there was LOVE.”

“You have been a friend, confidant, prayer partner, cheerleading squad, emotional support, ally, business partner and sweetie pie.” he continued.

They welcomed their son Bryce on July 25, 2001.

Craig’s passion for football led him to name Bryce after the player

Bryce Young with his father Craig Young.

Craig Young Instagram

While watching Monday Night Football one night, Craig came up with the idea of ​​naming Bryce after Green Bay Packers player Bryce Paup. He would even drop a cloth football around Bryce when he was a baby to see what would happen. Craig was amazed when he caught a ball at just 4 months old.

Part of the reason Craig loved football so much was because he had his own high school football career that never took off, but it motivated him to ensure Bryce’s success.

“I did not reach my own sports potential. I didn’t get the best coaching,” Craig said Sports Illustrated in April 2023. “There is a chance that I stopped playing because I stopped and I will make sure that does not happen to him.”

Craig’s mental health affected how he raised Bryce

Craig Young with his wife Julie Young and their son Bryce Young after the 2022 ESPY Awards.

Craig Young Instagram

Craig is successful in his own right, having worked as a licensed mental health therapist for more than 25 years, according to his website. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Pacific Oaks College.

He offers advisory, consulting and coaching services while also speaking at events, often on leadership. Craig’s mental health advocacy influenced how he raised Bryce, as he always encouraged Bryce to make his mental health a priority.

“Mental health has always been important to our family,” Craig explained to CBS Sports. “It’s just something that we’ve always paid a lot of attention to and we’ve always wanted to give Bryce an environment where he felt safe and felt loved and felt encouraged regardless of his results.”

He added: “We gave him a safe place to express his feelings or sometimes not express his feelings… that whatever he was feeling was okay and that we were there to help him solve the problem and that through that problem solving journey he always was loved and we were there for him.”

Julie was a special education teacher

Bryce Young’s parents Julie and Craig Young pose for a selfie near the water.

Craig Young’s Instagram

Julie worked as a special education teacher for 25 years, writes the Associated Press.

According to Sports Illustratedwhen a child with special needs was brought into Julien’s class halfway through the school year, their occupational therapist informed her that the child “doesn’t do very much.”

By the end of the year, Julie had taught the child the alphabet, how to type his name on the computer and say some small words. She used that same dedication and compassion while raising her son.

“We would do everything together,” Julie Carolina told the Panthers in April 2023. “Even when we go to practice, I would go. I remember a friend asking me, ‘Why don’t you just leave him and walk away?’ And I said: ‘No, I will stay. We all have to be together.’ ”

Julie was a former athlete, but Bryce didn’t know

Bryce Young and parents Julie Young and Craig Young during the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner’s press conference.

Bryan Bedder/Getty

Julie was a star soccer player in high school, traveled to Australia with the under-16 national team and played in college at Cal Poly Pomona, according to the AP. She later taught Bryce humility, and she never shared those accomplishments with him.

“I didn’t know that about her for most of my childhood,” Bryce said in September 2023. “I had to have someone else tell me how good she was… Then when I asked her, she said, ‘Oh, I did my best. . I had fun.’ But in reality she was one of the best players in the country.”

“They are some of the most humble and compassionate people I’ve ever been around,” he said of his parents. “It’s something that was always in my upbringing and was always an emphasis. I think my parents did a great job setting the example.”

Julie helped Craig and Bryce have a better relationship

Left to right: Craig, Bryce and Julie Young in 2022.

Craig Young’s Instagram

Craig developed into Bryce’s greatest mentor, but it wasn’t always that way. Despite the generally loving and supportive environment he grew up in, Bryce spoke to Julie about Craig’s coaching style.

After hearing that, she talked to him about how to balance his responsibilities as a father and coach to a high school student.

“I had to kind of step in and say, ‘Okay, now think about this. You’re his father, too. How do you want to deal with this?’ Julie told CBS Sports. “He decided, ‘Okay, you’re right. I need to change this and be more cooperative’ in their discussions about sports.

Today, Bryce calls Craig his “best friend.”

“He’s always been there for me, not just as a father, but as a friend, as a supporter, as a fan, someone who pushes me to be better,” the NFL star shared. – I am simply blessed and happy to have such a father in my life.

Craig and Julie bought a house in Alabama to be close to Bryce

Bryce Young with his parents, Julie and Craig Young, in 2022.

Craig Young Instagram

Bryce initially opted to play college football at USC, which would have kept him in the US and close to home. However, when the opportunity arose to play for Nick Saban, recognized as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, at the University of Alabama, it was too good to pass up.

He had a stellar career at Alabama, breaking several school records, but being away from home wasn’t easy at first. As a result, his parents moved to a home about an hour away from the school so they could have dinner together and help him take a break from the all-encompassing nature of college football.

Bryce also sought support for his mental health from the University of Alabama when he first struggled with the transition.

“I was so proud of Bryce because he was so transparent and so honest and so vulnerable,” Craig told CBS Sports.

He continued: “Sometimes when we struggle with mental health, we want to keep it [to ourselves] because admitting it would signal some kind of weakness, especially for athletes who sometimes base their entire identity on being strong and ‘can win’. ”

Craig and Julie keep all of Bryce’s accolades in their home

Craig, Julie and Bryce Young during the 2023 NFL Draft.

Craig Young’s Instagram

After Bryce was drafted in April 2023, he gave an exclusive interview to PEOPLE, revealing that he retained part of the draft stage.

“The draft was a very surreal moment for me. It’s an experience I’ll never forget,” he said. “To be able to have not only the thoughts and the memory, but also the physical part of the stage is surreal.”

When PEOPLE asked Bryce where he would keep the treasured memories, he said he would go to his parents’ house.

“They keep all the awards and things that are really memorable to us,” he added. “They have a place ready for it, so I think it will be there.”

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Source: HIS Education