Chase Young on what winning DROY would mean to him originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Other than Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, it's pretty much unanimous around the NFL that Washington Football Team pass rusher Chase Young should win the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
On Wednesday, Young joined the Good Morning Football crew on NFL Network and said what winning the honor would mean to him.
"It would mean a lot. You can ask anybody who's been around me," Young said.
For the 21-year-old pass rusher, winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award has been on his mind long before he was even drafted.
When 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa, Young's college teammate at Ohio State, won the award last year, the Washington pass rusher set a goal to follow in his friend's footsteps.
"I've talked to a lot of people, and they always say last year, at this time, I said I was going to win Defensive Rookie of the Year," Young said. "That’s something I’ve been working for since after Nick [Bosa] had got it, that was something I had to put on my board to get."
Considered a generational prospect by many during the draft process last spring, Young was the favorite to win the award well before the season started. However, when Young does ultimately receive the honor on Saturday at the NFL honors, it'll be because he earned it.
In 2020, Young led all rookies with 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Young's presence went a lot further than the boxscores show, though, as he was constantly double-teamed, yet still found ways to impact the game.
In December, Young not only won Defensive Rookie of the Month but also Defensive Player of the Month for his efforts. The pass rusher played his best football when it mattered most and had a major role in Washington winning its first division title in five seasons.
Only 21 years old still, Young has plenty of room to grow as a player. But, while Young has much bigger aspirations than this award, don't let it fool you: winning Defensive Rookie of the Year would mean a lot to him.
"Taking it home would mean a lot. It would be that phrase: hard work pays off," Young said. "For sure. So, if I come home with it, I'll definitely be blessed."
