49ers' lose leading sacker Young for 3-6 weeksAssociated PressSANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Defensive lineman Bryant Young could miss the rest of the San Francisco 49ers' season after a torn ligament was discovered in his right knee Monday night.Bryant YoungDefensive EndSan Francisco 49ersProfile2005 SEASON STATISTICSTot Ast Solo FF Sack Int29 25 4 2 8 0Young, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who's tied for the NFC lead with eight sacks this season, won't need surgery but will be out three to six weeks. He was hurt while tackling Seattle's Shaun Alexander in a 27-25 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.An MRI exam revealed a complete tear of his MCL and a torn meniscus. Young, whose career has been revitalized by a move to defensive end this season, also sprained his ankle when a pile of players rolled over his leg on the play.Young, the only remaining member of San Francisco's last championship team, was on crutches when he returned to the 49ers' training complex from a doctors' appointment. He was disappointed, but hopeful he could return before the end of his most impressive year since his last trip to the Pro Bowl in 2002."I'm staying optimistic and positive," Young said. "I'm just going to attack this rehab and get back as soon as I can."Young was helped off the field and into the locker room after getting hurt, and fans chanted his name at Candlestick Park. Young re-taped his ankle and even returned to the game for one play, but couldn't continue.The injury briefly took Young back to 1998, when his season ended with a nasty broken right leg in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants. Young needed extensive rehab and a metal rod inserted into his leg, but returned to make 11 sacks in 1999."Just the way it felt and how it was kind of contorted, I immediately thought it felt worse than it is," Young said of Sunday's injury. "I was determined not to get carted off the field again, though."Young was a rookie from Notre Dame on the 49ers' last championship team in 1994. He has been a stalwart on the defensive line ever since, missing just one game over the last 6Ω seasons since his broken leg.After years of doing the dirty work and enduring double-teams on the interior of the 49ers' line, Young moved to end this season new coach Mike Nolan's 3-4 scheme. He has thrived in the S***, chasing quarterbacks with the vigor of players a decade younger."He's the heart of this team, and he knows what it takes to win," said Andre Carter, a defensive end-turned-linebacker who may get more playing time at his original position with Young out. "Fortunately, we're in a position where we're deep enough to fill the spots."Rookie Ronald Fields and veteran Travis Hall will see more playing time in Young's absence.
They already suck, we all know that. But this is a huge hit to their whole team. Young was the heart and sould of the defense, and he was having a great season.
