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Len Younce

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Len Younce
refer to caption
Younce as a young coach in 1949
No. 32, 60
Position:Guard
Linebacker
Placekicker
Personal information
Born:(1917-01-08)January 8, 1917
Dayton, Oregon, U.S.
Died:March 26, 2000(2000-03-26) (aged 83)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:Roosevelt (Portland, Oregon)
College:Oregon State
NFL draft:1941: 8th round, 67th pick
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Oregon State (1949–1954)
    Offensive line
  • Edmonton Eskimos (1963–1965)
    Defensive coach/offensive line
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:65
Starts:57
Punts:70
Punting yards:2,845
Longest punt:74
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Leonard Alonzo Younce (January 8, 1917 – March 26, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He had a six-year career, interrupted by World War II in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the New York Giants. Younce played college football for the Oregon State Beavers and was selected by the Giants in the eighth round of the 1941 NFL draft.

Younce is a member of the Oregon State University Athletic and Oregon Sports Halls of Fame.

Playing career

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Younce on a 1948 Bowman football card.

Born in Dayton, Oregon,[1] Younce attended Roosevelt High School[2] in Portland and then played college football at Oregon State College in Corvallis. He was selected in the eighth round (67th overall) by the New York Giants in the 1941 NFL draft, and played a variety of positions, including linebacker, offensive lineman, placekicker, and punter.[3] Younce was a first-team All-Pro selection in 1943 by the International News Service.[4] In 1946, he was a first-team selection by the New York Daily News and a second-team selection by the Associated Press and United Press International.[5]

Coaching career

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After retiring from playing, Younce was an assistant coach at Oregon State University from 1949 to 1954,[2] and with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos.[2][6] He served as the linebackers coach for the Portland Loggers of the Continental Football League in 1969.[7]

Later years

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Younce was coaxed out of retirement to coach high school football for one year at Joseph High School in the small eastern Oregon town of Joseph in 1992. He intended to continue, but health problems prevented his return.[6]

Younce was an inaugural inductee of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980,[8] and was inducted into the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988.[2] He died in Portland, Oregon on March 26, 2000.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Obituaries". The Oregonian. March 30, 2000. p. D13.
  2. ^ a b c d "Grid great Younce dies". Oregon Stater. Vol. 85, no. 2. Oregon State University Alumni Association. September 2000. p. 51.
  3. ^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "1943 NFL All-Pros". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "1946 NFL All-Pros". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Wheeler, Ken (October 25, 1993). "It's his world and he loves it". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  7. ^ "Younce in grid role". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. United Press International. August 12, 1969. p. 19. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  9. ^ Nolen, John (March 28, 2000). "Younce Service is Saturday". The Oregonian. p. D2.
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