Young, selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft, was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Year in his rookie season. He earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his four seasons in Seattle and led the team in tackles from 1985 to 1987, surpassing 100 tackles each year. In 1987, he earned first-team AP All-Pro recognition and received votes for Defensive Player of the Year after recording nine sacks. He tallied 19 sacks in his four seasons with Seattle and blocked two punts, tied for second-most in franchise history. In 1988, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round picks, where he played for three more seasons before concluding his NFL career.