Jack Youngblood

Herbert Jackson Youngblood III, born January 26, 1950, spent fourteen seasons as a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1970s and 1980s. He earned five consensus All-Pro honors, made seven Pro Bowl appearances, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before his NFL career, Youngblood played college football at the University of Florida, where he was an All-American. He is widely regarded as one of the finest players to come out of Florida, with membership in the College Football Hall of Fame and a spot in the Gator Football Ring of Honor—an honor shared by only five other Gators.

After retiring as a player in 1985, Youngblood stayed in football operations. He worked in the Rams' front office until 1991, then held front-office roles with the Sacramento Surge of the World League (WLAF) from 1992 to 1993 and the Sacramento Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1993 to 1994. From 1995 to 1999, he served as vice-president and later president of the Orlando Predators. Between 1999 and 2002, he acted as the NFL's liaison to the Arena Football League (AFL).

Beyond football, Youngblood has worked in radio and television broadcasting, acted, pursued business ventures, and written an autobiography. He was a popular product spokesperson and has been involved in charity work since his college days, continuing through his NFL career and into the present. He currently serves on the NFLPA Mackey-White Traumatic Brain Injury Committee.

In 2014, he opened the Jack Youngblood Center for NeuroEnhancement in Orlando, Florida, which aims to treat traumatic brain injury symptoms and help patients restore normal brain function. Youngblood has said, "The bonus with this therapy is that the time invested is minimal, while the results are extraordinary."

Youngblood was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to Herbert J. and Kay Youngblood, and has two sisters, Paula and Lynn. He attended Monticello-Jefferson County High School in Monticello, Florida, graduating in 1967. Playing as an offensive lineman and linebacker, he started on both sides of the ball and was team captain of the state champion Tigers. He earned All-State honors in 1966 after recording 70 tackles, and was also named All-Big Bend, All-Conference, Big Bend Linemen of the Year, and Outstanding Lineman for the Tigers that season.

His defense shut out seven opponents and allowed only ten touchdowns in 12 games, including the state playoffs. He was a four-year football letterman, also played basketball, and participated in 4-H, Student Council, and Key Club International. In 1989, Sports Illustrated named him to Florida's All-Time High School football team. In November 2007, he was voted to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century High School football team as one of the state's thirty-three all-time greatest high school players.

At the University of Florida, Youngblood joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity (Alpha Omega chapter) and earned three varsity letters playing for coaches Ray Graves and Doug Dickey from 1968 to 1970. He entered college at 195 pounds and gained about ten pounds per year through weightlifting, finishing around 245 pounds. He and his teammates were part of the testing for Gatorade, a drink created by doctors Robert Cade and Dana Shires to help Gator athletes handle Central Florida heat. Youngblood recalled, "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, he played defensive end (wearing number 52) on the Gator freshman team—his first time on the defensive line after playing linebacker in high school. As a sophomore, he played both defensive end and defensive tackle, recording 24 tackles and four sacks, and also handled kicking duties, including a career-long 42-yard field goal that provided the winning margin in his first collegiate game against Air Force. In 1969, he was part of a 9–1–1 Gators team that upset Tennessee in the Gator Bowl, which was coach Ray Graves's final game.

Youngblood recorded nine tackles and forced a fumble in that game. He gained national attention after a five-sack performance in a 21–6 win over in-state rival Florida State on October 4, 1969. That season, he set a school record with 14 sacks and led the team's defensive linemen with 66 tackles. In 1970, he was a first-team All-American, recording 58 tackles and leading the team with 10 sacks, finishing his Gator career with 29 quarterback sacks.

He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy and was voted the 1970 SEC lineman of the year. He also made the SEC All-Conference team in 1970, capping three winning seasons at Florida. He received the Fergie Ferguson Award, given to the senior displaying outstanding leadership, character, and courage. His performance in the Georgia-Florida rivalry earned him a spot in the Florida–Georgia Game Hall of Fame.

In the 1970 edition, Florida trailed Georgia by seven points, and Georgia had driven to Florida's one-yard line. Youngblood stopped a Georgia running back short of the goal line, forced a fumble, and recovered the ball, sparking a rally that led to a 24–17 comeback victory.