Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Twenty twenty two marks a comeback season for defensive end Chase Young, the twenty twenty Rookie Defensive Player of the Year, suffered a torn acl week ten, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. After OTA's I sat down with the captain to discuss the off season and what lies I had. Chase, good to see you here, but so like being back in the building, get to see some of the guys
you haven't seen in a while. Yeah, feel it feels good. I'm just coming back getting on the field, you know, just fitting that energy, watching the guys running around. Uh, it feels good. So I'm happy to be back, happy to uh, you know, work with my team, my teammates, you know, just ready to play. Man, I'm ain'ty to get back on that. So I'm busting my butt. Where are you in that? Let's talk about because it was week ten. You go down and you know, we see
the scars. We know you're rehabbing, working hard, but where are you in that process? Yeah? You know I'm running, um, so you know I'm in that stage right now. But you know it's a lot more to go obviously. Um So right now, I'm just taking it, you know, one day at the time, and you know, just trying to you know, get back in my team, get back running around with them. You know, one of your former teammates went through this as well, Nick Bosa. He came back
fifteen and a half sacks. Do you have conversations to you know, because at those moments where like, man, this is this is hard and you miss it to know what still lies ahead of you. Yeah, you know, I feel like all that really did was remind me, you know, stand that grindum and you know, just remind me what it was all about. Man. You know, Uh, I love that. I'm just gonna keep going, man, and just and keep
grinding it out. And I know, Missigo, at the end of the time, we know you've talked a lot about how much the game's your passion. I think you were built specifically for this and you're living out that calling.
But to not be able to play, to not be able to be on the field, to not be able to kind of help your unit and your team, um, how important is it for you to be able to kind of just be back around and get back to be able to do that again, I means everything, you know, just to see my teammate's face, talk to Tes while here in the field, just trying to help him with you know, certain little tips I might see that you know, he might be in the stands, Just little things like
that that I couldn't do because most of the time I'm gonna field with him. Um, So just little stuff like that, you know, talking to John Um, you know, just seeing him leave the guys and you know, just watching them follow him. Man, I'm you know, I'm just here, you know, trying to trying to give my two sens if need be. Man, you know, other than that, I'm just gonna try to chare my teammates on and just
give him all the energy I can. Does that then allow you to maybe see the game differently, definitely definitely from the sideline's It's definitely different. And you know that's why, you know, going back, I'm I'm just trying to get my two sense if you know it, Tes, if it's first step is short off the line, you know, I'll let him know a little you know, just little tips to just try to help him be the best player he can. How do you think that will impact your
game when you do return a lot. Um. You know, even now now I have, you know, just a lot more time to you know, watch old film from last year. Um, you know, watch the new installs we have this year. Man, you know, just really learn it in Um. I feel like I can become it more. Um just now that I'm you know, not on the field, but I just have more time to watch film and catch up on some of the mistakes I need to be corrected for next year. What do you think the biggest growth that
you will see? You're kind of seeing yourself now that you know that rookie years over. A major injury is passed you very soon and you're not going to go into year three under head coach Ron Rivera with guys that have been by your side, and you're you're kind of used to where do you see that biggest next step for you? Mentally? I mean everything, I feel like, you know, you have a big injury. It kind of just reminds you that you know, things can, you know,
things can happen, and it's you know, really how you respond. Um, And I feel like, you know, even right now, I'm doing all the right things, responding UM, you know somebody this, you know, never really brought me down, you know too much. Um, obviously I was sad because I got injured, but uh, you know, I look at it on the bright side of I know, when I come back my leg it's gonna be the strongest they ever been. Um, you know, because I'm focusing a lot of legs way more so.
I try to be really optimistic and look on the bright side of things, and you know, not going to a whole and you know, be sad and mad, so far from that, far from that. So but just excited, just be back. There's a lot of mental up and downs in this league without even having to go through injury. But we're glad to have you back here with your teammates. Um, we know that's important. And I'm sure you guys will have some good laughs too. Pure Yeah we already yeah,
we already been having them. Thank you, appreciate your time, and we look forward to sing back on my feel Yes, all right. For all your Commanders news and analysis, be sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five thirty ten pm on NBC Sports Washington, and while you're at it, follow at Commanders on all social media platforms for the latest on the team. Hail to the commanders,