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 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.
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.