Tavon Young

BIOGRAPHY

Tavon Young, full name Tavon Antonio Young, was born on March 14, 1994, in the United States. He is known for his successful career in American football, where he played as a cornerback. Young is currently a free agent after being released from the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to becoming a free agent, Young played college football at Temple.

Before his college career, Young attended Frederick Douglass High School from 2008 to 2011 and Potomac High School from 2011 to 2012 located in Oxon Hill, Maryland. During this time, he played as teammates with Ronald Darby, a fellow cornerback. Young’s commitment to football extended as he accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl in 2016.

Young’s professional career kickstarted when he got selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2016. He positioned the 16th slot for cornerbacks drafted that year and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the Ravens worth $2.94 million and a signing bonus of $605,130. Just a few months into his contract, Young noted his career-first interception during a match against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which the Ravens won by 19 to 17 points.

Following the event, he made his first-ever NFL start in week 6 of the 2016 season against the New York Giants. He blossomed as the No. 2 choice for cornerback for the Ravens behind Jimmy Smith, after having played in 16 games, 11 starts, making 53 tackles, eight passes defensed and two interceptions.

Unfortunately, Young’s career met a roadblock in 2017 as he suffered a torn ACL during team activities and subsequently missed the entire season. He was placed on an injured reserve and later re-entered the field in 2018 where he played as the No. 3 cornerback.

This comeback was marked by his first two career sacks against the Buffalo Bills. On top of this, he also made his third-career interception during Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns. Young returned another fumble forced by Onwuasor and returned it 62 yards for the touchdown in a 22–10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

In 2019, he signed a three-year extension contract with the Ravens, scaling him as the highest-paid nickel cornerback in NFL. However, the year was beset by misfortune as he sustained a neck injury in practice and missed the entire season.

The year 2020 saw Young’s return in a match against the Cleveland Browns, followed by a tear in his ACL during the Ravens’ Week 2 matchup on September 20 against the Houston Texans. Consequently, Young found a place on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

In 2021, despite a season-ending ACL injury to fellow corner Marcus Peters, Young managed to secure a considerable amount of playing time. In a match against the Kansas City Chiefs, Young displayed a commendable performance with a crucial interception and thus contributed to the Ravens’ victory.

However, on March 9, 2022, Young was released, marking the end of his six-season stint with the Baltimore Ravens. On April 11, the same year, he was signed by the Chicago Bears for a one-year contract. But unfortunate events followed him yet again as he was placed on injured reserve on August 30, 2022, following which he was released on September 17th. Now, Young remains a free agent, seeking new adventures and breakthroughs in his illustrious football career.