Charle Young, former Seahawks captain, dies at 75

Charle Young, whose 13-year career NFL was capped by three years with the Seahawks in which he played a key role in leading the franchise to the first two playoff berths in team history, died on Tuesday at the age of 75.

The Seahawks and other teams that Young played for during his career confirmed his death. A cause of death was not immediately announced.

Young played for the Eagles, Rams, 49ers and Seahawks from 1973-85, the last three in Seattle.

Young signed as a free agent with the Seahawks in 1983, the first season for head coach Chuck Knox, under whom he had also played for with the Rams, filling an immediate hole at tight end.

Young was one of a handful of veterans Knox brought to Seattle when he got the job in 1983, most of whom had played for him previously, a group that also included the likes of receiver Harold Jackson and offensive lineman Reggie McKenzie.

All proved pivotal in the team's rise that season from three straight losing seasons to a 9-7 record that got the Seahawks into the playoffs for the first time.

Young had 36 receptions in 1983 for 529 yards. That was the most yards for any Seahawks tight end in the first 30 years of the franchise and remains the sixth-most for a tight end in team history.

Once in the playoffs, the Seahawks beat Denver in the wild card round 31-7 - a game in which Young had a key 28-yard reception from Dave Krieg that led to a TD that put Seattle ahead 17-7 - then pulled off one of the biggest upsets in team history with a 24-20 win at Miami the following week to advance to the AFC title game.

The team adopted a motto during the playoff run of I believe" based in part in a talk Young - an ordained minister - gave them following the win over the Dolphins.

The Seahawks lost the AFC title game to the Raiders 30-14, a contest in which Young scored one of the Seahawks' two touchdowns.

Young, who started 43 games for the Seahawks from 1983-85, catching 97 passes for 1,217 yards and five touchdowns, was named the offensive captain for the 1984 season when the Seahawks went 12-4 - their best record until it was topped by the 2013 team that went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. Seattle beat the Raiders in the wild card round that season before losing at Miami.

He was the only offensive team captain for Seattle during the 1980s other than receiver Steve Largent and running back Curt Warner and when he was elected captain in 1984 it was the only season from 1979-89 in which Largent was not a captain or co-captain.

A native of Fresno, Calif., Young played at USC, where he was a unanimous All-American for the Trojans team that finished 12-0 and won the national title and regarded as one of the best college football teams of all time, before being picked sixth overall by the Eagles in 1973.

Young was named the NFC's Rookie of the Year in 1973 by the UPI and the Pro Football Writers of America after tallying 55 receptions for 854 yards and led the NFC in receiving the following season with 63 receptions for 696 yards.

He was traded by the Eagles to the Rams before the 1977 season for quarterback Ron Jaworski and spent three years there before being traded to the 49ers in 1980.

Young won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 1981 49ers, a season in which he was also named as the winner of the team's Len Eshmont Award, given each year to the 49er who exemplifies inspirational and courageous play.

After playing three years with the Seahawks, Young retired following the 1985 season, at which point he announced he intended to stay in the Seattle area.

"He was a great role model for our younger players,'' Knox said when Young retired. "His influence was that he set the tone and tempo for practice and preparation."

Young had five children with his wife, Colleen, who all were active in athletics at O'Dea or Garfield high schools. His son, Chancellor, played football at Duke and at the University of Washington for a season in 2008. Another son, Charles, played football at Stanford. Daughters Candace, Cerenity and Chanel all competed on the USC track and field team.

Young was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2016.

Young was also known as Charles, but said on several occasions he changed the spelling of his name to stand out from either Charles or Charlie.

After his retirement he continued to be associated with the Seahawks, including working on game days, examining uniforms to assure they were in compliance with NFL rules.

He was also active in the Seahawks Legends community and as a volunteer for other organizations locally.

"I'm truly thankful," he said on the day his retirement was announced at the end of the 1985 season. "I had 13 wonderful years. I came into this game a winner, and I left this game a winner. I always tried to conduct myself in a manly type of way.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:52 PM.