Craig Young on Raising Bryce Young, Sports Parenting, Mental Health, and Faith

In this episode of Sideline Dad, powered by the I Am Dad Podcast Network, host Javin Foreman welcomes Craig Young, father of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and 2023 number one overall NFL Draft pick. But this conversation is not just about football. Craig brings a powerful perspective shaped by fatherhood, mental health, faith, coaching, family sacrifice, and his own journey of growing up without his father present. He speaks honestly about what it means to raise a young athlete without losing sight of the child, the relationship, or the emotional health of the family. Craig reflects on his early desire to give Bryce every opportunity he did not have, and how that intensity eventually forced him to confront something deeper. When his wife told him that Bryce did not want him to coach him or even be around him, Craig had to make a choice: protect the dream or protect the relationship. His answer became one of the central lessons of this episode: if athletic success comes at the cost of the father-child relationship, it is not worth it. This episode explores: • Raising the child, not just the athlete • Why a child’s happiness still matters in competitive sports • How fathers can support big dreams without taking over the dream • The emotional cost of youth sports pressure • Why parents must check in with their children, not just their performance • How father absence shaped Craig’s commitment to be present • Why therapy and mental health support matter for fathers • What it means to give young athletes agency and responsibility • How families can build a village around a young athlete • Why gratitude, consistency, character, and resilience matter more than rankings Craig also shares lessons from his book, Growing Up Young: One Family’s Faith Journey to the NFL, where he writes about family, faith, sports, mental health, and the spiritual and emotional strategies that helped shape Bryce’s journey. He is clear that the book is not meant to sell a formula for athletic success. It is meant to help families pursue excellence without destroying themselves in the process. One of the most powerful moments comes when Craig discusses Bryce being benched in the NFL and how Bryce handled it with grace, discipline, humility, and preparation. Craig admits that as a father, he wanted to fight back publicly, but Bryce’s response taught him something about character, faith, and when a parent needs to step back instead of becoming a distraction. This conversation is for fathers, mothers, coaches, sports parents, athletes, and anyone trying to help children pursue their gifts without losing themselves along the way.

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