Young comes full circle
TOWSON, Md. - Rivals 250 cornerback Louis Young verbally committed to Stanford back in May. But by the end of the summer, the 6-foot, 185-pound four-star recruit from Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md., started to waver on his decision.
Virginia was hot on his trail and Boston College was also still in the mix.
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He eventually backed out of his Stanford commitment, saying he was "still looking for the right fit."
Over three months later, Young was finally ready to make a decision.
On Monday evening at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium, the site of the second annual Maryland Crab Bowl - an All-Star game featuring the best senior stars from the Baltimore and Washington areas - Young reaffirmed his commitment to the Cardinal.
"The admissions at Stanford are real tough, and I wanted to know 100 percent that I was going to be able to get in," Young said. "I didn't want to have any doubts about it. It's a great school, Jim Harbaugh is great and the connections you can make over there are advantageous."
Young is still not out of the woods yet - at least in terms of academics. He said he still has work to do in order to meet Stanford's stringent standards.
"Stanford called my house the other day, and they said they received all of my paperwork, but I'm still doing the application process," Young said. "It's a tougher process than almost any other colleges. Now, the next goal is to finish this application and take my official visit on Jan. 15."
Barring any admissions holdups, Young will be roaming the Cardinal secondary in 2010. One of the reasons he initially chose Stanford was the opportunity to play at a rising power and make an immediate impact.
"Stanford is a little shaky on the corners, and I feel I can come in and make plays they're not making," Young said. "Coming from the D.C. area, I bring a lot of physicality and swagger to the team. That's just how I play."
Young is also looking forward to the challenges he'll face in the Pac-10. He said he can't wait to go up against the high-powered offenses of USC and California.
"As a DB, playing in the Pac-10 is like Christmas every Saturday," Young said. "I'm ready for it. I love challenges."
Young started at cornerback for the Washington team in Monday's Crab Bowl. He gave Stanford a small taste of what kind of a player they'll be getting next season. Young recorded two interceptions, returning one 72 yards for a touchdown, which helped his team come away with a 24-21 victory.
"I did pretty well out here tonight," Young said. "That's what I do. It's my job."