Donovonn Young, sophomore running back for UIUC Football, made his appearance on the team in the fall of 2011. A Texas native, Young has made a new name for himself in the Midwest and is a key player on the University of Illinois football team. After graduation, he plans to play football professionally, but, in the meantime, he focuses on schoolwork and contributing to Illinois Football.
Her Campus: When did your love for football begin?
Donovonn Young: I want to say I was born to be a football player. I mean I loved it since I was young. I mean I started playing when I was four, so I’ve been doing it for a while.
HC: Is your family really into football, too?
DY: My dad and I played at the same high school and the same position. He went on to college and got hurt, so he didn’t get to go as far. That’s one of the things that drives me when I play.
HC: Does your family come to all your games?
DY: Yes, they actually come to every game. They haven’t missed a game yet.
HC: Has running back always been your position?
DY: When I first started playing tackle football, I played center. I started playing running back when I was about eight or nine, and ever since then they put me in that position.
HC: How did you make the choice to play for the University of Illinois?
DY: It’s crazy how I ended up here. I’m from Texas and I didn’t have many scholarships coming my way in high school. I broke my foot my junior year, and junior year is a really important year. It ended up that someone who had gone to all of my games called a friend that was a coach at University of Illinois, and I came up, and the coaches loved me.
HC: How do you balance school and football?
DY: It’s definitely a lot different from a regular student. You wake up early and have late nights. It’s an ongoing and constant ride. During the week I wake up at about six a.m., come over here [practice] and don’t go to bed until about eleven-thirty p.m.
HC: What are your plans after graduation?
DY: I definitely want to keep playing football. I haven’t thought about it too much, but definitely playing professional football would be the best option.
HC: What advice can you give to young men (and women) who want to play college athletics?
DY: I would say perfect your craft, and that goes along with every aspect of life. Do your job, and do it to the best of your ability.
FUN FACTS
Favorite Food: Anything from Maize
Favorite TV Show: My Wife and Kids
Favorite Movie: Friday Night Lights
Celebrity Crush: Kim Kardashian BEFORE Ray J
Campus Crush: Casey Shoults
Guilty Pleasure: Lifetime Movies