April 22, 2008

Ames, IA (UWIRE) -- To most Hawkeye fans, Albert Young is a hero. A 1,000-yard season in 2005 and more than 3,000 in his career. A career-high 202 yards against Northwestern in his sensational sophomore campaign.

And his most unforgettable, etched forever on the mind of the Black and Gold faithful: 179 hard-fought yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State that, at the time, saved Iowa's 2007 season, trailing by 14 at halftime on Oct. 28.

But after a career hampered by injuries and a senior season slowed by a nonexistent passing offense and an inefficient offensive line, it's hard to say where the former Hawkeye end up in this weekend's NFL draft.

Young isn't listed on ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest draft prognostication, but he ranked as the 43rd-best running back in the 2008 class. Scouts Inc. projects him as a fringe Day 1 pick.

The Moorestown, N.J., native says he gets calls "every day" from teams, including the Colts, Bears, Vikings, Browns, and Titans. He worked out with the Eagles early this month.

"They say, 'Be ready on draft day,' " said the No. 3 rusher in Hawkeye history.

Although Young is confident he'll receive a phone call this weekend - he'll sign as a free agent, if not - scouts wonder if he can stay healthy. The 5-9, 208-pound back has been prone to knee injuries his entire career. After suffering an injury in high school, he redshirted his freshman year because of a broken leg and missed all but two games the next season with an ACL tear. In 2006, he played through another knee injury, missing two games.

In between those injuries, in a breakout 2005 season, Young led the Big Ten in yards per conference game with 125.2 and ran for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns.

"Young has been extremely productive when healthy, but he needs to show better durability," reads his Scouts Inc. player analysis.

"I have been injured in my career before, but I'm healthy now," he said.

Young's speed and deceptiveness also diminish his draft stock. He ran a 4.549 in the 40-yard dash at Iowa's Pro Day, and he has never been a shifty runner, although scouts note his strength and toughness, picking up a lot of ground after contact.

"[Young] shows good initial burst but lacks the second-gear to run away from defenders once he gets through the line," his draft prospectus says. "[He] lacks ideal elusiveness and won't make many defenders miss in the open field."

But Young, who graduated in December, says his explosiveness is key to his success. He's ranked in the top eight in rushing in the conference for the past three years - finishing just shy of 1,000 yards in 2007- for 3,173 career yards.

"Everybody gets caught up in the 40 time, but football is more a game of burst in your first step," he said. "That's just something for me to prove them wrong."

Aside from speed and injury reservations, scouts see a smart, solid blocker with good vision and reliable hands out of the backfield.

"His upside is definitely limited," said Alex Khvatov, an NFL draft analyst for nfldraftblitz.com. "He's your typical guy. He's an undersized guy with very average speed.

"I like the fact that he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and I like the fact that he's a pretty good blocker. I don't see him being drafted. I see him coming in as an undrafted free agent, but he has an opportunity to make a team because of those factors."

But Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says whether his name is called this weekend or not, Young will have a fresh start - forget everything he did as a Hawkeye - all that matters is how he performs in camp.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you get drafted unless you are the No. 1 pick," he said. "For everyone else, what they do once they get to their teams is important."

(C) 2008 Iowa State Daily via UWIRE