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Roland Young

End

Inducted 1986

Date of Birth

9/4/1916

Birthplace

Ponca City, OK

School

University of Oklahoma (1936-1938)

Bio

Football success came early for Walter "Waddy" Young when, as a high school senior, he was selected as an All-State end in his native Ponca City, Oklahoma. And even before that, as a junior high schooler, he had played on an undefeated, untied and unscored upon Ponca City team. Waddy went on to become a 6-2, 203 pounder at the University of Oklahoma, where he was coached during his sophomore year by Lawrence "Biff" Jones. Later, under coach Tom Stidham, as the first player from that era at Oklahoma to receive such national attention, he made consensus All-America by being picked in 1938. Following graduation, he played pro ball for two years in Brooklyn for coach Jock Sutherland before joinining the U.S. Army Air Corps. On January 9, 1945, during a raid on Tokyo and while assisting a comrade whose plane had one engine on fire, Walter "Waddy" Young died while serving his country.