![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Alec Pierce and Michael Young Jr. played two years together at Cincinnati. As seniors, they helped the Bearcats become the first non-Power 5 program to earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
In 2022, Pierce and Young are trying to play together again for the Indianapolis Colts.
Pierce, who the Colts drafted in the second round with their first pick of the 2022 NFL draft, will certainly be on the Indianapolis roster. Young, an undrafted free agent, will have to earn a spot over the summer.
But Young has bloodlines working in his favor.
ALL the latest Colts news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Colts newsletter here!
Colts Family Ties for Michael Young Jr.
Just before winning its last Super Bowl, Indianapolis drafted running back Joseph Addai at No. 30 overall in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. It just so happens that Addai is Young’s uncle.
The Bearcats wide receiver called his uncle immediately after signing with the Colts on May 13.
“They’re gonna take good care of you,” Addai told his nephew according to Colts.com.
Ironically, Addai’s former teammate, Reggie Wayne, will instruct Young this summer as the Colts new wide receiver coach.
Young posted 28 catches for 353 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 12 games for the Bearcats during 2021. He had similar statistics in 10 games during the 2020 season with 29 receptions, 332 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
Young transferred to Cincinnati after playing three seasons for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Over five college seasons, he registered 74 catches for 862 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Addai rushed for two 1,000-yard seasons in six years with the Colts. He made the Pro Bowl during his first season as a starter in 2007.
After six seasons in Indianapolis, Addai signed with the New England Patriots in May 2012. But he never appeared in a regular season NFL game for any team other than the Colts.
Alec Pierce Shines at Rookie Minicamp
Young is an intriguing story, but all eyes are on Pierce as he will compete for a starting spot opposite Michael Pittman Jr. this season.
Pierce left Friday’s practice with dehydration, but writer J.J. Stankevitz of Colts.com reported that he also made “a number of impressive catches in the red zone” during the practice session.
The rookie also told Stankevitz how much he is preparing to be ready for training camp.
“You gotta study a lot, do a lot of things on your own to get ready,” Pierce said. “They throw a lot at you.”
Pierce posted 52 receptions for 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a senior last year at Cincinnati.
Young couldn’t have been much more complimentary of Pierce when speaking to Stankevitz about his former college teammate.
“He’s tough. He’s competitive. He’s gritty. He works hard. He has a blue-collar mentality,” Young said when speaking about Pierce. “You saw today he has terrific hands. I can go on and on …”
While Young was more of a possession receiver at Cincinnati, Pierce was a big-play threat, averaging 17.5 yards per catch over the last three seasons.
As a freshman, Pierce didn’t have a reception and registered six tackles as his only statistics. But over his final three college seasons, he posted 106 catches, 1,851 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 34 games.
0 Comments