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Training Camp Daily 8/14: Here's Why Chase Young Chose No. 99

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Training camp is here, and we have you covered as the Washington Football Team prepares for the 2020 campaign.

Stay up to date with "Training Camp Daily," which comes out every weekday evening.

Also be sure to check out "Washington Football Live 2020" every weekday from 9 - 9:45 a.m. and "Virtual Happy Hour" from 2:30 - 3 p.m. Both shows will be streamed on all of the team's social media platforms.

Here's what you need to know:

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Washington defensive end Chase Young is well-versed in NFL history, so he knows there have been several great defensive linemen to wear No. 99. The list includes Aaron Donald, J.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. One day, Young could find himself among that group.

"You could name a lot of people, even before my time...to wear 99," Young told Senior Vice President of Media and Content Julie Donaldson. "I'm just trying to [represent] that."

Young is certainly not comparing himself to any of those players yet; he like to ignore all the positive and negative attention he's received over the years. Still, none of the players Young mentioned were as highly touted of a college prospect as him. Watt, for example, had 11.5 sacks in two seasons at Wisconsin, which is five fewer sacks than Young had in his junior season alone.

Sapp, who played for the University of Miami from 1992-94, also fell behind Young with 19.5 career sacks. Donald was the closest; in four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, he amassed 29.5 sacks. However, that total is still one sack short of Young's 30.5 in three seasons at Ohio State.

This is not college football, though. This is the NFL, and Young has yet to make his professional debut. Watt, Donald and Sapp have 264.5 between them, and all three have been the Defensive Player of the Year at least once in their careers.

Clearly, Young has a long way to go before he reaches their level, but Young welcomes the challenge. He's willing to do whatever it takes to be great.

"I always tell people '99 problems,'" Young said. "That's what I'm trying to cause."

QUICK HITS

Ron Rivera's culture played a role in Thomas Davis Sr. coming to Washington: There are few players who know Ron Rivera's coaching style and culture as intimately as Thomas Davis Sr. He spent eight seasons with Rivera in Carolina, and he wanted to be a part of Rivera's new culture in Washington. "It was definitely something that I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to be a part of a group that came here and really changed the culture of what's been going on in Washington."

Reuben Foster questioned whether he would be same after his injury: It's been an emotional week for linebacker Reuben Foster. After a long journey recovering from a torn ACL and LCL, Foster was cleared for practice and has been a part of Washington's "ramp-up" period, which began Thursday. Foster tried to maintain his confidence throughout his rehab, but he admitted doubt would occasionally creep into his mind. "I was focused on my leg and I was like, 'Dang, am I the same again? Will I ever be the same? Will I ever be that type of caliber guy?' I'm not going to take it to the point where I'm going to stop my playing, my play style. I've just got to get confidence out there."

Davis wants to lead by example: Linebackers coach Steve Russ said Davis was the best player-leader he had ever worked with. That skill was developed for years and influenced by other players throughout Davis' career, and he said the best strategy is to lead by example and speak his mind. "I think guys tend to follow people that are consistent in this league or this game, and that's something that I've tried to be for a long time, try to maintain consistent in my approach."

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