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Young envisions bright future at Penn State W hen Isheem Young begins his football career at Penn State next season, he will bring a winning reputation, based on the past three years and likely his senior season as well. A 5-foot-10, 204-pound safety from Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter, Young lost only one game the past three seasons and was part of two cham- pionship teams. That one loss occurred in last year's PIAA Class AAAA 5nal, a 27-20 defeat at the hands of Erie Cathedral Prep. "I have been fortunate to play on some really good teams with some really good players that helped me win a lot of games," Young said when inter- viewed recently via text message. "It took a team e6ort, and I had to do my job and what- ever it took to win." When it came to recruiting Young, Penn State was the leader from the beginning. He had o6ers from all the major powers but wanted to play relatively close to home. In addition to Penn State, which is about a four-hour drive from his home, he considered West Virginia, Ohio State, Maryland, Alabama and Clemson. Young, who received four stars from Ri- vals.com, announced his commitment on July 18 but said he knew in April that he would be signing with the Nittany Lions. He made several trips to University Park and "loved every visit," he said – so much so that he didn't visit any other schools before making his announcement. "The family aspect and the relationship I developed and had with players on the team already, allowed the decision to be made easier," he said. Young is rated the No. 5 player in Penn- sylvania by Rivals, the No. 10 safety in the country and No. 114 overall prospect. He said Penn State simply felt comfortable. "What I like most about Penn State is the home feeling I get when I'm there," he said. "It always feels like I'm welcome and appreciated there, and that is with foot- ball and academically." Young didn't play high school football his freshman year, opting instead to com- pete in Pop Warner. His team, the Philadelphia-based Northwest Raiders, went unbeaten that season and won the Pop Warner Super Bowl. During the championship game, which took place in Orlando, Young rushed for 158 yards and four touchdowns, as the Northwest Raiders defeated the New Britain (Conn.) Raiders, 26-6. As a sophomore, Young was a vital part of Imhotep's nationally ranked 15-0 team that won the PIAA Class AAA champi- onship. Imhotep became the 5rst team | FAST RISER Young, a four- star defensive back from Philadelphia, has played on two championship- winning teams in the past three seasons. Photo courtesy of Ri- vals.com

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