Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame
There were many great athletes at Southwestern in the 1950s. Billy Young ranks as one of the best three-sport athletes ever to play at the college. He could run and pass a football, shoot a basketball and hit and throw a baseball as good as anyone ever to wear a Lynx uniform.
Billy arrived at Southwestern in 1954 as a much-heralded high school phenom at Treadwell High School. As a freshman he immediately made an impact by starting as a quarterback in football, guard in basketball and shortstop in baseball. Recognized by his teammates as an outstanding player and leader, he served as co-captain of the 1956 football team. In 1957 he was named to the Little All American Football Team as a quarterback. As Hall of Fame teammate Jim Higgason proclaimed, “Billy was the grease that allowed the wheel to turn on the team.”
In the 1950s there was no three-point line, but this didn’t stop Billy from lighting up the scoreboard in Mallory Gym. As a freshman he averaged 9.7 points per game; as a sophomore, 15.0 points per game; and as a junior, Billy averaged 23.4 points per game. For years he held the single season scoring record of 504 points, the most field goals in a season of 182, and the single game scoring record of 40 points. He also held the Mallory Gym scoring record of 36 points for several years. Billy was on track to be the all-time leading scorer at Southwestern, but due to personal reasons he was not able to play his senior year.
Billy Young thrilled the crowd at Fargason Field and in Mallory Gym like no other Lynx. In recognition of his outstanding athletic skills, Rhodes is honored to induct BILLY EUGENE YOUNG into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 23rd day of October, 2009.
