Maury Youmans
Maurice Edward Youmans is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange.
Early years
Youmans attended Cicero–North [Syracuse High School|North Syracuse High School], where he initially focused on playing basketball and averaged 20 points a game. He started playing football as a senior. After graduating, he spent one year at Dean Academy to improve his grades.He accepted a scholarship from Syracuse University and was redshirted as a junior after having back surgery.
As a senior, he became part of a defensive/offensive line known as the "sizeable seven" that also included Bob Yates, Fred Mautino, Al Bemiller, Roger Davis, Bruce Tarbox and Gerry Skonieczki. He blocked for Ernie Davis and was a member of the undefeated national championship team in 1959.
He also lettered in basketball, where he was a backup at center as a sophomore and senior.
Professional career
Chicago Bears
Youmans was selected by the Chicago Bears in the ninth round of the 1959 NFL draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over.As a rookie, he played left defensive end and his bookend partner was future hall of famer Doug Atkins, but missed games with a dislocated shoulder. After playing all of the games in 1962, the next season he was kneed in the back and missed 8 games.
In 1963, he was placed on the injured reserve list with a knee injury that was complicated by a serious infection. He would end up missing the season the Bears won the NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship].
The next year, he requested a trade thinking he was going to the Green Bay Packers, but instead was sent to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for offensive end Gary Barnes on June 18, 1964.