Young at heart: English senior gets chance to play football at Bentley

Sometimes a decision doesn’t go your way, sometimes it does. Justin Young knows both scenarios, but lately, the senior from Lynn English has been getting the thumbs-up treatment.Young received a chance to continue playing football on the collegiate level thanks to an acceptance from Bentley University. A couple days ago, he signed a letter of intent. (He had received news of his acceptance two months ago, and written confirmation in the mail several weeks after that.) Yet the player who impressed on the field for the Bulldogs did so not as a quarterback, a position Young had played what he calls “my whole life,” but in a role he had to transition into, a wide receiver. And this stems from another significant decision of his senior year.From calling signals to catching passesThose who have watched National Football League teams employ multiple quarterbacks, as the Arizona Cardinals initially did with Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart, will understand the scenario that English formerly used. Jesse Fowler and Young alternated at quarterback, with each playing wide receiver when not calling the signals. This season, the Bulldogs got a new coach, Peter Holey, who decided to go with one quarterback: Fowler.”At first, it felt like, I was a little upset I wouldn’t be the quarterback,” Young said.However, what at first seemed like a disappointment worked out well. Young caught his first touchdown pass as a wide receiver against Winthrop, snared two more TD receptions against Revere – including one in which he broke several tackles en route to a 30-to-40-yard run-and-catch – and dashed across midfield to bring home another tally against Peabody.By the time the season was over, and English had finished 7-3, second to Gloucester in the Northeastern Conference, Young had reached the record books as the Bulldogs’ all-time single-season leading receiver. (His size and speed probably helped: He stands 6-0 and weighs 175 pounds, and runs a 4.5 in the 40.)”I think he was disappointed that he was not going to be our quarterback, but once he was focused, we thought that was his natural position,” Holey said. “I wish he had two years at wide receiver.”What Young has had during his football career at English are responsibility and recognition. He has won the Scholar-Athlete Award twice, in his sophomore and senior seasons, and the Coaches Award in his junior year. In his final season, he was a team captain and an NEC all-star. He has played on the varsity in every season but his freshman year, when he played Pop Warner for East Lynn. With so many achievements, it was only natural that colleges would come calling.Business, books, and blitzesYoung wanted to pursue a business career, which made Bentley an attractive option. It also helped to have a former Bulldogs player, Chris Carroll, now suiting up for the Falcons. (Carroll had preceded Fowler and Young as a quarterback for English; he plays defensive back these days.)”Chris Carroll was always talking about how good Bentley was,” Young said.His top four choices included Bentley, Colby, St. Anselm, and Endicott. He called the recruiting process hectic, but fun.”All these coaches were calling,” he said. “Trying to narrow it down was tough.”Holey learned about his player’s choice a month ago.”It’s a perfect fit for Justin,” he said. “I think he’ll do well athletically there, and he’ll thrive academically. He’s a great asset and a great kid.”Besides Carroll, Young will have a few other teammates with North Shore ties on the Falcons, who finished 5-6 this past fall. One of them is current freshman Bobby Tarr, the former record-setting running back for Bishop Fenwick. Another, Alex Tomaino, a current sophomore, is from Gloucester. The Falcons will have a new coach next season, Thom Boerman, who takes over from 30-year veteran Peter Yetten.The decisions don’t stopIt would seem, then, that Young’s senior year is set for a smooth conclusion. His football season is over, and all he needs to do is sit back and wai