Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2026 9 UNDER THE DOME Young has always wanted to help tell Colby's story, and this season, he be- lieved he had enough of a platform as an established contributor for Notre Dame to do that effectively. He partnered with PBTF to launch "Go Gold," an initiative designed to raise awareness for pediat- ric brain tumors. That alone, PBTF believes, can make a huge difference. According to PBTF c h i e f d eve l o p m e n t o f f i ce r A lyso n Levine, pediatric brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer but receive the least funding. "While yes, it is absolutely letting people know they're not alone and mak- ing sure they know we are here for them as a resource, but it's also just elevating that awareness across the board now in terms of what needs to happen," Levine told Blue & Gold Illustrated. On his Instagram page, Young posted two photos of himself with Colby and one video interview he did with PBTF campaign manager Madison Kaufman. The first, which he posted shortly be- fore the season began, read: "I carry my brother with me on every field I step on. He's the reason I fight, the reason I train, the reason I'm proud to support the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I lost my brother to a brain tumor — but I still haven't lost the drive to make a difference for kids still fight- ing. This season, I'm playing for Colby." In addition to spreading awareness, Young's campaign is intended to reach other families with children who were suffering or had passed away from pe- diatric brain tumors. Kaufman told BGI about a mom at a PBTF bereavement group whose son watched a Notre Dame game and heard the broadcast talk about Young and redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr, who lost his little brother Chad to a rare brain tumor called DIPG in 2015. The boy, who had also lost his younger brother, turned to his mom and said, "That could be me one day." "I think it provides hope, and it pro- vides people a sense of togetherness that they're not alone in the journey that they have walked," Kaufman said. "And that's something that Bryce has shared, too. "That is something that has provided this sense of, 'Oh, my goodness, this is making a difference.'" SPEAKING COLBY'S NAME As Notre Dame boarded its buses outside Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass., a young Boston College fan ventured behind enemy lines to meet Young. This fan, whose family did not wish to provide his name, is currently in treat- ment but is in stable condition. His family reached out to PBTF to see if he could meet Young before the game — a 25-10 Irish victory — and Young said, "Absolutely." "Not only that, but after the game, he checked in with me and said, 'Hey, was he able to make it through the whole thing?'" Kaufman said. The interaction was short, but Young made it worth it. " B ryce wa s i n c re d i b ly pa t i e n t ," Kaufman said. "He just really welcomed their family and actually thanked them for coming to support him, which just exemplifies exactly what his whole heart behind it is." Young has done similar things in South Bend, visiting sick children in hospitals and through Ronald McDon- ald House. Kaufman said Young has a "big heart" for meeting kids and their families, particularly given that he was in their shoes nearly a decade ago. "I think it just gives me the tools, I guess," Young said. "I don't know if that's the right word to use, but I know how it feels for the parents, for the kids, just to have somebody that you love go- ing through something so hard. So, I think just that compassion aspect of it, I'm grateful for that." Each interaction is bittersweet for Young, who has to relive what happened to Colby and his family every time he talks to a patient, posts on Instagram or films a video with Kaufman for PBTF's website. It was particularly painful for Colby, Bryce Young recalled, that one of the first things he was told after being di- agnosed was he couldn't play football again (doctors believed the treatments would weaken him too much). When Young meets a kid in the same situation, that's what gets him the most. "I know kids out there who, sport is their greatest thing that they have, and to be told you can't play football again, that's tough," Young said. "So, you know, just not wasting a day." To constantly put himself in situa- tions that remind him of that, Levine explained, is an example of Young 's strength and kindness. "It just will always be there for him," Levine said. "And that's a lot, on top of the workload, on top of going onto the field. To choose to do that intentionally, just shows the type of person he is." But for Young, keeping Colby's mem- ory alive is also the point. It's some- thing he and his family have tried to do since he passed, most notably at Bryant Young's NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2022. Bryant Young said when he spent the final months of his life in hospice care, Colby asked his parents if he would be remembered. They told him he would, and they kept that promise. "Colby," a choked-up Young said at his Hall-of-Fame speech, "you live on in our hearts. We will always speak your name." When Bryce Young talks about Colby, he does so with a smile on his face. Through the pain of losing his brother, Young knows he's honoring what Colby stood for by making an impact. "That's something that's super im- portant to me," Young said. "I think beyond anything, how you work in your community and how God works through you is most important, no mat- ter what I do on the field." ✦ When Bryce (right) talks about Colby (left), he does so with a smile on his face because he knows he's honoring what his brother stood for. PHOTO COURTESY THE YOUNG FAMILY