COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before he was giving the quarterbacks on opposing teams nightmares, and before becoming arguably one of the best players in all of college football, Chase Young was a young teenager in Maryland, playing high school football at DeMatha Catholic.

• An assistant football coach at Chase Young’s high school says Young comes back and teaches younger players new techniques
• The coach says despite all the success, Young hasn’t forgotten where he came from
• Former Buckeye great and NFL player Stan White says it’s great to see a young man from Maryland succeeding at such a high level

“When he came to DeMatha as a junior, you know, I intentionally didn’t start him the first couple weeks...you know, I made him earn it. And that was another reason why I knew he was going to be successful. Because of how he worked. He was consistently working,” said William Weathers Jr., assistant coach, DeMatha Catholic High School. 

DeMatha defensive coordinator William Weathers Jr. was Chase Young’s defensive line coach.

He says despite all of Young’s success, the Heisman finalist hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

“He worked with the d-line, my d-line group. He showed them some things, which I mean, he gives back to the school, so he got stuff from Ohio State, came back and showed the guys what he’s learning up there, which is a big help," said Weathers Jr.

And seeing Chase Young on the Heisman stage wasn’t just a great experience for the DeMatha community.

“I experienced it myself with a teammate and then to see a kid that I know doing it from this area do it at Ohio State, it’s just been a great experience,” said Stan White, former Ohio State player.

Stan White knows a thing or two about Ohio and Maryland football. 

Growing up in Kent, he became an All-American at Ohio State, playing for the Buckeyes from 1969 through 1971. He added an 11-year NFL career, eight of which were with the Baltimore Colts.

“It was one of the great experiences of my life,” said White. Playing for Woody Hayes, playing in the Shoe, playing in the Big Ten... it’s unbelievable to play football at Ohio State and I got to relive it when my son played there.”

After spending decades in Maryland and having served as a broadcaster for the Baltimore Ravens, White is excited to see a player from the state continue to shine at his alma mater.

White first met Young at his first practice wearing the Scarlet and Gray. 

“I got a chance to go up and introduce myself and then follow him through all his exploits at Ohio State, and they couldn’t be any better than they’ve been," said White.

Young finished in fourth place in the Heisman voting.