Chase Young didn’t even try to hide his dislike. In a video published in November by USA Today, Washington’s defensive end was asked to grade several candidates for his team’s new name, including Armada, Brigade, Defenders — and, yes, Commanders.
But in a recent phone conversation with The Washington Post, Young said he’s starting to warm up to the name, especially after seeing the complete package with the new logo, uniforms and helmets.
“I feel like it’s growing on me with everything going on with the jerseys,” he said. “The uniforms are like that. The black one, I think that’s my favorite. The white one, I love that one, too. And the one [wide receiver Terry McLaurin] was in, the burgundy one, I like that for a home game, a jersey that everyone’s going to see all the time.
“I’m a Commander, so I’m going to be ready to go command stuff.”
Young joined McLaurin and Allen in January to promote the team’s Feb. 2 announcement date. Still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in November, Young was pictured with a large brace around his leg while wearing a “2.2.22” T-shirt at FedEx Field.
Young wasn’t part of the team’s reveal last week — Allen was the only current player present, and he was joined by more than a dozen alumni — because he has been rehabbing and training in Colorado Springs. He’s working at Dunamis Health and Performance, whose clients have included Los Angeles Rams linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as well as Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr., among others.
Although Colorado’s unpredictable weather has required an adjustment for Young, the 22-year-old expressed optimism about the coming season — and his return.
“It might be snowy one day and hot the next day,” Young said. “But I got my own trainer out here. We’re working, doing two-a-days. I’m getting a lot of better. I’m really excited.”
Next weekend, Young will head to Los Angeles, where he’ll meet Capt. Darryl Griffing, an active-duty medical operations officer with the Georgia Army National Guard who has been deployed to Afghanistan and Germany. Young is one of several NFL players who provided service members trips to Super Bowl LVI through USAA and the National Guard Association of the United States.
Young’s work with the military is personal: His grandfather, Carl H. Robinson, served in the Air Force from 1956 to 1965 and died at 74. Young was 13 at the time, but he has since honored Robinson with a tattoo on his right arm.
My grandfather served in the military, so it's an honor to team up with @USAA and @NGAUS1878 to provide 2 tix to #SuperBowlLVI to Captain Darryl Griffing in honor of his service to our country #SaluteToService #USAApartner pic.twitter.com/dinrl4nX6D
— Chase Young (@youngchase907) February 3, 2022
“Me staying in contact with and stay working with the military is something I always want to do, just knowing my grandfather was in the military,” Young said. “He would tell me stories — he was on the basketball team on the base, and he would box — but it was really how he’d show just what type of man he was. He was a handyman, was never afraid to get his hands dirty. To the day he died, he made his bed every day. He always had a routine: He would get up, make his bed, he’d go downstairs and make oatmeal. He would just show me through example.
“The military always has a soft spot in my heart.”