CHARLOTTE — Bryce Young will return to this campus next week, when the Panthers open training camp.
But earlier this offseason, he went back to his old school and realized how much — or how little — time had passed.
Young was back at Mater Dei High School to host a youth camp for his foundation, and got to walk the same halls he did a few years ago, before he went to Alabama and eventually became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
When asked what's different about him now, Young cracked: "I got way taller from high school to now."
"Obviously, a lot more experiences in life, growth," he continued. "But you know, to be honest with you, I feel like there's a lot of similarities from where I was at in high school until now. I've been exposed to a lot more, but I think there are a lot of similarities from the way I thought, my approach.
"I've been super blessed to, from a young age, have a lot of great people around me that I've trusted to try to help me to be the best person. And I'm still trying to perfect, probably know more now and have a different process, but I think it was probably more similarities than differences."
And as he walked through his old school, he saw a lot of his favorite places, from the Campus Ministry office couches, to the weight room that was strangely quiet when he was lifting there.
He also walked by Mater Dei's Heisman Lane, which honored previous winners John Huarte (1964) and Matt Leinart (2004) before Young was added to the signs in 2021.
And while much has changed for him, he's still very much the same guy.
"I feel like my best piece of advice would just be to run your own race," he said. "Everyone has a different path, everyone has a different journey, and everyone has different timing.
"It's hard sometimes when you look at people around you or you try to compare to other people, and it can be very discouraging to do that, especially at the NFL level. You see people accomplish their goals from so many different paths and through so many different avenues, and there's no right or wrong way to get there. So just to focus on what's important and to run your own race would probably be the best advice I have."
View photos of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young as he leads Young 9 Foundation football camp. Young hosted two camps for children last week. The first at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California and the second at his alma mater Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
Bryce Young, Quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, hosts a youth camp at the Rose Bowl on Friday, April 4, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.
