Lincoln University of Missouri Athletics

James A. Young graduated from Lincoln University in 1962 and later earned a master’s degree from Webster University in 1977. Young completed his eligibility on the field in 1961, after playing on the LU football team as a tight end and linebacker for four seasons. He collected four varsity letters from his time wearing the navy blue and white.

He was a member of the MWAA 1958 conference championship team, in which the team was ranked second in the nation among Black Colleges. While the team did well as a whole, Young was recognized for his efforts, as he landed on the MWAA conference second team in 1958-59 and was awarded the Harry Stokes Outstanding Football Player Award in 1959.

Young Spent 26 years in the U.S. Army (1962-88), retiring as a Colonel. Young also served as a director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Commission from 1993-2006, while also volunteering at YMCA in Jackson, Miss., and is currently working with disabled veterans. Known as “Mighty Bo Young,” he was one of the most dangerous ends in the Midwest.