Robby, Ryan Young follow their father's path to Memphis.
By: Lamar Chance
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*NOTE: This feature story on the Youngs -- Robby, Ryan and father, Shane -- first appeared in the Sept. 17 Memphis Tigers Football GameDay program (Memphis State Throwback Game).
Sometimes, you just can't help to born with it. Or, once it's in your blood, it's in there.
For many that lived in the city of Memphis in the early 1970s, that probably was the case. The 1972-73 Memphis State Tigers basketball grabbed ahold of many of that generation that lived in the Bluff City and never let go. Such is the case for the Young family.
Unbeknownst to them, that's how the "younger" Young's – redshirt junior tight end Robby Young and his younger brother, Ryan, a freshman offensive lineman – love affair began with the University and its athletics program.
"Growing up in Memphis, I was a big-time Tigers basketball fan," said Shane, Robby's and Ryan's father. "Everybody was back then."
Shane Young with Tigers baseball in the 1980s.
That was just the beginning. Shane was not only a Tigers fan, but later became a standout baseball performer for then-Memphis State in the early 1980s. A letterwinner from 1981-84, Shane played on some of the best baseball squads in school history. Over those four seasons, the Tigers went 139-48, played in four-straight Metro Conference Tournaments and made one NCAA Tournament appearance.
"Memphis offered me a football scholarship, but I thought I had a better opportunity to play professional baseball than football," Shane said. "I went the baseball route.
"I had the opportunity to play with some great players like Dave Anderson. We had a really good baseball team. My freshman year, we were ranked as high as No. 3 in the country and set a school record for wins (48). It's been broken since then."
After college, Shane was a 21st-round MLB draft pick by the New York Mets and played several minor league seasons. Following his baseball career, Shane returned to Memphis and continued to attend Tigers sporting events and eventually toting along Robby and Ryan to the games.
"We went to football games and a few basketball games when they were kids," Shane said. "Robby and Ryan were basketball fans too because of Derrick Rose and those teams."
Robby added, "As a child growing up, it was fun going to the games. I remember coming to the games during DeAngelo's (Williams) years and running down to the tunnel to grab some of the players' gloves like the kids do now.
"We'd attend some basketball games, but we had season football tickets so we attended most of the home games. It felt like it was home."
In addition to attending Tigers events, the sons also heard of their dad's college baseball career from Shane's friends and former teammates.
"Our father didn't talk much about his playing days, but when we would meet his friends, they would share memories and stories about him," Robby said. "They would say, 'Hey, remember that one game he hit it over the trees in the parking lot.' Stuff like that."
Shane concurred, "I didn't have to tell them. Everybody would tell them that I played baseball at Memphis. They learned about my Memphis experience from others."
Although Robby said that "everything in our home was Memphis," he and his brother did look around at other schools before deciding to play for their parents' alma mater.
"They looked at others schools," Shane said. "Robby was recruited to play other positions by schools other than Memphis. Robby chose Memphis so he could play tight end."
Another reason Robby wanted to wear the Blue and Gray – to help the Tigers program rise to national prominence.
"Being a part of it is something I always wanted," said Robby. "I wanted to be a part of an up-and-coming program."
Shane agreed, "I'm glad they are a part of this turnaround. I'm glad to see them (Robby and Ryan) a part of helping turn the program around to where it was when I attended Memphis State. It's a second generation playing at Memphis. It's a family tradition now."
