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Thursday Round-Up: D-II to Destiny: Seahawks Dareke Young Adjusting to Training Camp

Rookie receiver Dareke Young discusses making the leap from Division-II Lenoir-Rhyne University to the NFL.

Aug 11, 2022 at 12:46 PM

Maliik Obee

Seahawks.com Contributor

Good afternoon, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today – Thursday, August 11 – about your Seattle Seahawks.

Making The Leap From D-II Football To The NFL

In April, the Seattle Seahawks selected Lenoir-Rhyne wideout Dareke Young with the No. 233 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Young is one of five Division-II players to hear their name called in this year's draft. With a summer of OTAs and training camp behind him, Young is looking forward to showing what he's got in preseason.

It's been a good start of the decade for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University, with Young making the Bears the only Division II program to produce two draft picks in the last three years (Kyle Dugger was selected by New England in 2020). The tenth draft pick in school history was also the only Division-II player selected to participate in January's East West Shrine Bowl. The Raleigh, N. C. native shined in Las Vegas, upping his draft stock.

Young is quiet and focused in the Seahawks locker room, a sponge on the field and off.

"I just stay off my feet, stretch, and come in here and get some work done on my body as well," he said. "I try not to do too much."

While his development over the summer has been noticed prior to preseason action - Young is still adjusting. Following Day 11 of training camp, Young took the podium to discuss the leap from college to the NFL.

"It has been a crazy leap, but I'm a fast learner and I know how to adapt pretty well, so if I make a mistake, I learn from it," he said. "I don't hang my head low, and I just try to learn from all the mistakes I make. Camp has been going good. Just focused on staying consistent and helping my team prepare each week."

Young's been in the building at Virginia Mason Athletic Center all summer, and he discussed how he's been coming along the last few months.

"When you make plays, you get more confident so I'm playing faster and just getting coached by some great coaches and playing around some good veterans that are helping me out as well," he said. "So just learning from those guys and they're helping me a lot."

In college, Young did a little of everything for the Bears, lining up at X-receiver, Z-Receiver, in the slot and even at H-Back. The 6-foot-3 wideout is chiseled, combining strength with agility and quickness. But the Seahawks have some talented, athletic corners lining up in front of Young, and iron sharpens iron.

"There's a lot of talent in that room," he said. "We have some young guys who are in my draft class. Coby (Bryant) and Tariq (Woolen) those guys are pretty good. Tariq, a big, long corner, I'm not used to going against somebody that tall, my size, but really good guys to go against and they are preparing me every day."

Saturday, Young makes his preseason debut on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, seven hours from Raleigh. Young is trying to earn his keep amongst a talented Seahawks receiver group - and is using special teams as a means to rise up the depth chart.

"Special teams is going to be really important," he said. "Even in college, my coaches stressed how important special teams were, so that'll be nothing new to me. I am going to take advantage of my reps that I get and give it 110 percent and try to make as many plays as I can. I played special teams all four years."

But Young is still taking the entire process in, one game at a time, starting with this weekend.

"Just competing. I feel like it hasn't really hit me yet," he said. "I've been telling people I feel like it's going to hit me when I am lined up against somebody dressed in a different uniform. I am looking forward to it."

One day at a time; one play at a time.