Bryant Young enters the 49ers’ Hall of Fame as their all-time sack leader. Which current 49er could catch his total of 89 1/2 quarterback sacks? Could anyone, ever?
Well, Arik Armstead is the closest, though he trails by 70 1/2 sacks. Perhaps it will be Nick Bosa, who tallied 9 1/2 sacks last season as the NFL Defensive Rookie Year of the Year.
“In this day and age, anybody is capable of passing and breaking records,” Young said Wednesday on a video conference with reporters. “They’re there as a benchmark to achieve more. Definitely there are guys with potential to succeed that. We’ll just sit back, eat our popcorn and see what happens.”
The 49ers’ sack rankings date only to 1982, when they became an official statistic. Young’s strength — he dared the 49ers to order him 200-pound dumbbells in 2005 — and professionalism led to his production as a model pro. The 49ers’ next highest sack total is 66 1/2, by Charles Haley, then 51 1/2 from Ahmad Brooks and 46 1/2 by Dana Stubblefield, Young’s former linemate.
Sitting at No. 6 in those rankings is Aldon Smith, who racked up 44 sacks in his first four seasons before his career went sideways and the 49ers released him before the 2015 season.
“Aldon, unfortunately he didn’t finish his career with the 49ers, but he was a guy heading that way (to atop the sack list),” Young said. “Now there are guys like Nick Bosa and a couple others that have the ability.”
Young’s advice: collaborate.
“It’s good to learn from other players and pick their brains,” Young added. “When guys collaborate and watch film and help each other out, that’s how your game grows.
“We’re in the information age. We’re in a time it’s OK to share, pick each other’s brain and help each other out.”
Young, 48, said he’d be willing to help mentor the 49ers, if requested by coach Kyle Shanahan. Young served the past three seasons as the Atlanta Falcons defensive line coach. He began his coaching career in the college ranks, at Notre Dame (2009), San Jose State (2010) and Florida (2011-12).
Young was named Tuesday as the 49ers’ latest entrant to the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Hall of Fame.
Training and technology have “changed dramatically” since Young retired from his all-49ers career that spanned 14 years, from 1994-2007.
He recalled how future Hall of Famer Richard Dent encouraged the 49ers’ defensive linemen to work together before that 1994 season, and although that didn’t quite come to fruition, “the idea was there,” said Young, whose only Super Bowl appearance came in that rookie season.
Young’s 208 regular-season games are tied for third most in 49ers history, behind only Jerry Rice (238) and Jimmy Johnson (213).
