Former Seahawks and Colts linebacker Fredd Young passed away at the age of 64 on Tuesday, the Seahawks confirmed. The cause of death was not disclosed.
“A standout linebacker who impacted the game in multiple ways,” the Seahawks wrote in an X post. “We remember the life and legacy of Fredd Young.”
After a stellar four-year run at New Mexico State, Young joined the Seahawks as a third-round pick (No. 76 overall) in the 1984 draft. Young did not make any starts as a rookie, but he received a Pro Bowl invitation for his excellent special teams work. He became the first special-teamer who wasn’t a returner to make the Pro Bowl, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. That began a tremendous Seattle stint for Young, who took on a starting role in his second year and went on to record 100-plus tackles in three straight seasons. Young earned Pro Bowl nods in each of those years, making him a perfect 4-for-4 to start his career.
In 1987, a personal-best campaign for Young, he garnered a first-team All-Pro selection and finished third to Hall of Famers Reggie White and Bruce Smith in the Defensive Player of the Year race. However, that proved to be the last season in Seattle for Young. He grew dissatisfied with his salary ($350,000) and did not get along with well-compensated teammate and fellow linebacker Brian Bosworth. The Seahawks gave Bosworth a 10-year, $11MM deal, then the largest ever for a rookie, after they took him first overall in the 1987 supplemental draft. Bosworth wound up falling well short of expectations during a career that lasted just three years.
Stuck in a contract standoff with Young, the Seahawks traded him to the Colts in a September 1988 blockbuster. The Colts gave up a first-round pick in both 1989 and 1990 for Young. The Seahawks used the ’90 pick to move up to No. 3 overall in the first round and draft defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, who became a franchise icon and a Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, Young was the Colts’ second major trade acquisition in an 11-month span. In a three-team swap in October 1987, the Colts received Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson from the Rams; the Rams got a package including three first-rounders and three second-rounders; and the Bills landed cornerstone linebacker Cornelius Bennett.
The Colts awarded Young a four-year, $5MM contract when they traded for him, but the deals for him and Dickerson didn’t lead to much team success. They missed the playoffs in every year from 1988-94. While Young was a three-year starter with the Colts, he did not make another Pro Bowl or take home any All-Pro honors after leaving the Seahawks. He suffered a dislocated hip in 1990, forcing him to retire at the age of 29.
Young ended his seven-year NFL career with 21 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and three interceptions in 101 games and 79 starts. A New Mexico State Hall of Famer and Football Ring of Honor inductee, Young earned a spot on the Seahawks’ Top 50 Players list in 2025.