PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s Sept. 3, 1995, and the Eagles are about to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener at 1 p.m. at Veterans Stadium. It’s the debut of the Ray Rhodes and Ricky Watters era of Eagles football. And at the same time, it’s the start of an unforeseen decades-long era of Eagles fandom — Shaun Young, and his alter ego.
For some reason, Young had painted his face that day while wearing a typical Eagles bandana, a jersey, black sweatpants and black work boots. Then, his buddy’s brother asked if he’d like to put on shoulder pads too. Why not? Totally spur of the moment. That day at The Vet, a brutal 21-6 loss to Trent Dilfer and the Bucs, Young says a lot of people wanted to come up and take pictures with him.
“It was something new, different,” Young, 56, of Delaware County, told KYW Newsradio. “And the next [home game] I went again and stuff and was just doing it, just to do it, just because it was something different, I guess, and having fun with it with the fans. And then out of nowhere, just over a few years, it just completely took off. And now I’m 30 years in.”
Thirty years into painting half his face green and the other half silver, wearing an Eagles skull cap, putting full pads underneath a collection of jerseys, and wearing additional pads under football pants with high-top Eagles sneakers and long black soccer-like socks.
A season ticket holder since 1993, Young is mild-mannered when you talk to him on an average day. But when he puts that outfit on and it’s GameDay, something flips. His delivery becomes WWE-esque. His goal is to cheer on his beloved Eagles while causing havoc for their opponent.
There’s no doubt Young is a well-known fan. He says his alter ego and outfit have landed him paid appearances over the years, which has led to him getting to know Eagles legends Brian Dawkins and Brandon Graham. His GameDay jerseys are now covered in patches, one of which signifies him being a Hall of Fame fan in Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association. He’s been able to meet and befriend other huge fans for other teams around the country while representing the Eagles.
At the same time, while his GameDay attire has gotten him notoriety, he says he doesn’t look for the camera. He wants to help others. Young has volunteered his time to give back to the community — visiting hospitals and speaking to kids about important topics like drug and alcohol resistance and bullying.
“If somebody comes to me and asks me if I can give back to something to help raise money, or even if it’s just to change somebody’s outlook on something — somebody’s in a bad mood or somebody’s going down a bad path — if I can help that person, even in the slightest, to help alter that path, I’m going to do it. I’m just going to jump to it, and I’ll give you the best I have every single time,” explained Young, who says he was taught it’s always better to help somebody than it is to receive.
He does this work in the community wearing his football outfit because he says it helps grab whoever he is speaking to’s attention better.
One emotional situation that Young particularly treasures dealt with a hospital visit he estimates happened 12 years ago. Young remembers there was a 16-year-old girl battling cancer who didn’t have good odds to pull through. After speaking with the girl and her parents to offer his support, he says he told the girl, “You got this.”
Fast forward a decade later, Young was in the supermarket with a small amount of groceries, while a couple in front of him had two huge carts.
Young says the couple let him go ahead of them. But when he was ready to pay, the cashier told him it was taken care of, and then directed him back to the couple he just interacted with. Young said the couple smiled, thanked him, and then told him they were the parents of the 16-year-old he visited 10 years prior. They said she was a healthy 26-year-old and happily married with a young daughter. Young says they told him their daughter had the words “You got this” tattooed on the inside of her wrist. That moment gives Young chills to this day.
Young treasures the platform his outfit has given him over the years, and says he intends to keep going as long as the lord allows him to.
As far as this year’s Eagles team, he recognizes they have their shortcomings with much to be fixed, but he’s hopeful they will win the division.
To hear more about Young’s story, check out the latest edition of KYW Newsradio’s Philadelphia Sports Fan of the Week.