Charley Young

Charles Lee Young (born October 13, 1952) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at North Carolina State University and was drafted in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft.

Following a standout high school sports career at William G. Enloe High School, in 1970, Young and Willie Burden became the first African-Americans recruited to the North Carolina State University football team. He also was a part of the track team.

When Lou Holtz arrived as the head coach at North Carolina State University, he implemented split-back veer offense to take advantage of the talent at running back, that included Young, Burden, Stan Fritts and Roland Hooks. At the time this was arguably the best group of running backs in the nation, they were known as "The Four Stallions" and everyone of them went on to play in a professional football league.

As the fullback, in 1973 he was part of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship team. He finished his college career with 1,657 rushing yards.

In the 1974 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys had two first round draft choices. With the first one they selected Ed "Too Tall" Jones. The team was targeting Lynn Swann with their second first-round pick, but selected Young instead, after Swann was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He played only three seasons in a reserve role, until suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, during the 1977 training camp. After being on injured reserve for a year, he returned in 1978 but couldn't make the team.