Robert E. Young is one of the few athletes who can boast that he was a member of a team that had an undefeated season — but not just one team, and not just one season. Young participated in three different football squads, in high school at Poplarville in 1959, in junior college at PRC in 1961, and in senior college at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1963.

Over five years of football (1959-1963), Young played on three undefeated teams and was involved in 42 victories and just three losses. Young was named Outstanding Lineman in the conference as a senior in high school and at McNeese State.  He made the All Desoto Conference team in 1958 and 1959 and was the conference's Outstanding Linemen his senior year and was named a member of the 1960 Mississippi High School North South All-Star Classic. The 1959 Hornets rolled to nine straight victories and the school's first undefeated season under the direction of Poplarvilles head coach and PRCC Hall of Fame's Doug Daniels who won Desoto Conference Coach of the Year award that year. Young was also the school's Best Athlete

As a freshman at PRC, Young was president of the class and served as a member of the Student Council.

The 1960 Wildcats scored 246 points and the 1961 Wildcats tallied 446 points while allowing only 47.

Young was in the McNeese State University records for most passes caught (26), most yards gained (393), and most touchdown passes caught (7). He accounted for 42 points while averaging 15.1 yards per catch in 1963. He lettered for the 1962 Cowboys which were 6-2-1 and winners of the 1962 Golden Isle Bowl against Howard University. In 1993 Young and his 1963 teammates returned to Lake Charles to receive the key to the city to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of their accomplishments.

A chemistry major at McNeese, Young is also a 1992 honor graduate from Texas State Technical Institute in Waco, Texas.

Young left McNeese and served two years in the Army and then worked for almost 25 years with an oil company. At the time of his 1994 induction, Young had been in Corpus Christ since 1971.

He is married to Gloria and they have three children.