By Darin Imagine a player so athletic that they earned 16 varsity letters and captained every major sport on campus. Long before the era of specialization, Harry “Cy” Young set a standard for versatility that remains nearly impossible to replicate. While he shares a nickname with a baseball icon, Harry Young carved his own path through the record books at Marshall and Washington and Lee, proving that a true “tackling machine” could also be a scoring champion on the hardwood and a speedster on the track. Discover the story of the man who became a legend across three different colleges and four different sports.
Football Bio
March 8, 1893 – Charleston, West Virginia – The Marshall and later Washington and Lee Halfback, Harry, better known as “Cy”, Young, was welcomed into the world. Now I know what you are thinking, but this is not the famous baseball pitcher Cy Young you may be thinking of, even though he was a good player on the diamond and the gridiron. That more famous Cy Young’s real name was Denton True Young.
Harry Young was welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame’s rooms of legends in 1958. In fact, though Young played varsity football at two schools, he actually attended three colleges! The 1910 and 1911 seasons were spent with the Thundering Herd of Marshall. According to the NFF’s website bio, Cy kicked three field goals on Nov. 2, 1910, as Marshall beat Glenville 9-0. Marshall’s overall record in his time with the Herd was 9-2-2. In the fall of 1912, he attended the University of Michigan and was on the freshman football team. Cy transferred to Washington and Lee and was on the football team from 1913 to 1916. He won 16 letters at Washington and Lee and was a senior captain of four teams: football, baseball, basketball, and track. The 1913 W&L team was 8-1 and outscored opponents 200-7. Young had 54 points on touchdowns and extra points. In 1914, the team went 9-0 and outscored opponents 313-12. Young scored 57 points. The NFF voters elected Cy Young to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1958.
Conclusion
Harry “Cy” Young represents the pinnacle of the “all-around athlete” from the early 20th century. His journey through Marshall, Michigan, and Washington and Lee highlights a career defined by leadership and staggering statistical production across multiple disciplines. Whether he was booming 50-yard punts or leading his basketball team in scoring, Young brought a competitive fire that elevated every program he touched. By the time he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1958, he had long been established as one of the greatest sporting figures in the history of the South.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1958.
- 16-Letter Winner: Earned four varsity letters in each of four sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track) at Washington and Lee.
- Four-Sport Captain: Served as captain for the football, basketball, baseball, and track teams during his senior year.
- All-American Basketball Player: Recognized by the Helms Foundation in 1917.
- Scoring Leader: Led Washington and Lee in football scoring for four consecutive seasons.
- Undefeated Season: Key member of the 1914 Washington and Lee team that finished 9–0.
- Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2002.
- Virginia Sports Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1976.
- Punting Excellence: Averaged an incredible 50 yards per punt over his four-year career at W&L.
