Wake Forest Athletics
Dr. Kyle A. Young Honored to Receive Pete Moffitt Courage Award
1/16/2024 8:00:00 AM | General
“I think it's just being able to support across the board — not just one area. I've tried over the years to support athletics and Wake Forest University as well as the medical school.” – Dr. Kyle Young
Wake Forest Athletics has certainly evolved since Dr. Kyle A. Young finished his undergraduate studies in 1965 and completed his work at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1969.
Dr. Young remembers fondly when he and his Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers made their way to Bowman Gray Stadium to watch Wake Forest upset South Carolina 20-19, which happened 60 years ago this past fall, when Brian Piccolo rushed for 140 yards, including the game-winning touchdown in the waning moments. Piccolo also kicked the go-ahead extra point.
"I remember our fraternity guys tore down the goal post and took it into the old field house there at Bowman Gray Stadium," Dr. Young shared.
Before we continue into his full story, Wake Forest Athletics is excited to announce that Dr. Young is this year's recipient of the Pete Moffitt Courage Award, with a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20 as the Wake Forest men's basketball team hosts Louisville. This award was established in 2012 in recognition of Wake Forest alumnus, Pete Moffitt ('84), who displayed tremendous courage while battling ALS. With that, the Moffitt Courage award is given each year to a Wake Forest student-athlete, coach or alumnus who has demonstrated great courage.
Following in the footsteps of his sister Faye Young Strum ('62), Dr. Young began his Wake Forest journey in 1961 and was on campus as Len Chappell and Billy Packer led the men's basketball team to the NCAA Final Four.
"I grew up in a small county Baptist church in Roxboro, North Carolina — just north of Durham," Young said. "My interest in Wake Forest also came from a local family doctor in Roxboro. And, he's the reason I went into medicine really," Dr. Young said. "He went to Wake Forest and was on the Board of Trustees when I was in high school. So, he suggested I go to Wake Forest and go to Bowman Gray for medical school and come back to work with him. I did everything, but come back and work with him."
In addition to receiving a life-changing, world-class education, Young also met the love of his life — Caroline Spratt Young — in a Wake Forest chemistry lab in 1963.
"We're still married after 56 years," Dr. Young said. "I was a dedicated college student and knew what I needed to do to get into med school. I had a great social life, but I knew when to stop the social life and go study. When I was in medical school, Caroline taught high school physics and chemistry.
As he looks back on his choice to attend Wake Forest, Dr. Young remembered that he did not consider going to UNC-Chapel Hill like most of his friends and those in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill community.
"I suppose my Baptist church roots and my family physician's suggestion made the difference, and that's the best choice I ever made," Dr. Young shared. "I was a Kappa Sigma, a dominant fraternity at that time. Last fall, several fraternity brothers met after a football game. They always kidded me about my having to go to the library. They still kid me about that to this day. "
Originally planning on becoming a surgeon, Dr. Young spent a year in Richmond at Medical College of Virginia (now known as VCU).
"The specialty of radiology was a young specialty in the 50s and 60s," Dr. Young said regarding his career path that saw him serve as a radiologist at Greensboro Radiology for 35 years. "You didn't have the CT scans or MRI scans. A lot of people didn't go into it, because it wasn't very exciting. But I found radiology very interesting and was able to work during a time when the field was changing and developing.
"Now you can't practice medicine without having radiology," Dr. Young shared. "That was the beauty of it, being able to learn and help bring advancements to Greensboro. I was most involved with the beginning of ultrasound, cardiac imaging, mammograms, and PET scanning."
Sports were always an important part of Young and his family's life.
"I grew up in Roxboro where everybody played football, basketball, and baseball and I developed a love for sports at an early age, " he said.
Now, with Dr. Young having originally joined the Deacon Club in 1971, he has enjoyed all that the club has provided over the years – especially those special relationships with members and Wake Forest staff.
"In recent years, my main contacts have been Barry Faircloth (Wake Forest Executive Associate AD) and Mike Piscetelli (Wake Forest Senior Associate AD, Development) who is like my grandson," Dr. Young said.
Young's daughter, Dr. Amy Young Jordan, graduated from Wake Forest in 1993 and was one of the first to enroll in the joint MBA/MD program — which she completed in 1998.
Now a dermatologist in Greensboro, Amy is married to George H. Jordan, a 1992 Wake Forest graduate who is a direct descendant of Wake Forest founder Samuel Wait. They have two sons: Ben Jordan, who is a sophomore on the golf team at Wofford College and Will Jordan, who is a Page High School senior.
His son, Lance Young, graduated from Wake Forest in 1998 and was on the golf team coached by Jack Lewis and Jerry Haas. He first became a basketball sports agent signing Josh Howard and Chris Paul. Lance is now a golf agent with Excel Sports Management and he lives in Miami, Florida. Lance is married to Kathryn Pfeil Young and has a one-year-old daughter, Sienna.
"Our family has enjoyed Wake Forest sports throughout the years," Dr. Young said. "Kyle and Caroline went to the Tangerine Bowl and our entire family, including our two-year-old grandson Ben, went to the Orange Bowl.
Through the Young's commitment and support of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Athletics over the last five-plus decades, life-long relationships have been forged.
Ron Wellman asked Caroline, who was an artist, if she would do a series of paintings for the Norman Snead Club Room in Bridger Field House.Although Caroline already had many promised commissions, she agreed hoping that someday their grandchildren would see the paintings. On the left side of the Snead Room there are four dynamic paintings celebrating Wake Forest football while the right side of the main room on the second floor of Bridger has a series of vibrant six paintings focusing on soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, golf, and track and field.
Spreading their generosity through commitments across the Wake Forest campus has become extremely gratifying for Dr. Young, including the medical school, the Scales Fine Arts Center, the chemistry building, and Arnold Palmer Golf Complex.
"I think it's just being able to support across the board — not just one area," Dr. Young said. "I've tried over the years to support Athletics and the University as well as the medical school. I'm not sure any one thing is more important than the other, but I think it's just the long-time loyalty to Wake Forest in all aspects."
Dr. Young was diagnosed with Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2018, an incurable disorder that makes it difficult for the lungs to get enough oxygen because of inflammation and scarring.
"It's been five years since this diagnosis," Dr. Young said. "In 2022, I had prostate cancer and in 2023 lymphoma, both of which are now in remission after treatment.
"What's really got me through is my great family: my wife, my children, and their spouses and my three grandkids — that's the main thing. It's having such a good, supportive family — I'm so proud of all our family."
And then there's Dr. Young's extended Wake Forest family, as the University, Athletics and the Deacon Club have been such an intertwined part of his family's entire life.
"I think that we've gotten to know Wake Forest leaders, athletic directors, coaches and presidents along the way and have good relationships with them," Dr. Young said. "I think it's just our loyalty, I suppose. Being there — always being there."
Dr. Young was a member of the Deacon Club board in 2012 and he was named Deacon Club Member of the Year in 2009. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1992-2011 and was named as a Life Trustee. In his role as a Life Trustee, Dr. Young remains active on the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee and is extremely committed to helping AD John Currie and he is appreciative of his core goals for Wake Forest Athletics.
Dr. Young was the Chair of BOT Athletics Committee in 2001 when former AD Ron Wellman hired Jim Grobe and Skip Prosser to lead the football and men's basketball programs, respectively.
Meanwhile outside of Athletics, Dr. Young remains a member of the Board of Health Affairs Committee and is excited at the growth of the Wake Forest School of Medicine and the tremendous leadership of Dr. Julie A. Freischlag.
Pete Moffitt Courage Award Recipients
2023 - Dr. Kyle Young ('65, MD '69, P'93, P'98, P'98, P'98)
2022 - Carl Tucker ('68, P '95, P '97, P '04, GP '28)
2021 - Larry McCreary (MALS '09)
2019 – Luke Orman ('04), Track & Field
2018 – Jim "Butch" Williams ('62, J.D.'66, P'89, P92, P'96), Football
2017 – Dr. Wiley Doby ('70, PhD '84, P '02)
2016 – Allan Head ('68, JD '69, P '92, P '98), Track & Field
2015 – Homer Brookshire ('68), Football
2014 – Heather Holmes, Former Volleyball Head Coach
2013 – Rodney Rogers ('94), Men's Basketball
2012 – Tom Walter, Current Baseball Head Coach
Dr. Young remembers fondly when he and his Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers made their way to Bowman Gray Stadium to watch Wake Forest upset South Carolina 20-19, which happened 60 years ago this past fall, when Brian Piccolo rushed for 140 yards, including the game-winning touchdown in the waning moments. Piccolo also kicked the go-ahead extra point.
"I remember our fraternity guys tore down the goal post and took it into the old field house there at Bowman Gray Stadium," Dr. Young shared.
Before we continue into his full story, Wake Forest Athletics is excited to announce that Dr. Young is this year's recipient of the Pete Moffitt Courage Award, with a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20 as the Wake Forest men's basketball team hosts Louisville. This award was established in 2012 in recognition of Wake Forest alumnus, Pete Moffitt ('84), who displayed tremendous courage while battling ALS. With that, the Moffitt Courage award is given each year to a Wake Forest student-athlete, coach or alumnus who has demonstrated great courage.
Following in the footsteps of his sister Faye Young Strum ('62), Dr. Young began his Wake Forest journey in 1961 and was on campus as Len Chappell and Billy Packer led the men's basketball team to the NCAA Final Four.
"I grew up in a small county Baptist church in Roxboro, North Carolina — just north of Durham," Young said. "My interest in Wake Forest also came from a local family doctor in Roxboro. And, he's the reason I went into medicine really," Dr. Young said. "He went to Wake Forest and was on the Board of Trustees when I was in high school. So, he suggested I go to Wake Forest and go to Bowman Gray for medical school and come back to work with him. I did everything, but come back and work with him."
In addition to receiving a life-changing, world-class education, Young also met the love of his life — Caroline Spratt Young — in a Wake Forest chemistry lab in 1963.
"We're still married after 56 years," Dr. Young said. "I was a dedicated college student and knew what I needed to do to get into med school. I had a great social life, but I knew when to stop the social life and go study. When I was in medical school, Caroline taught high school physics and chemistry.
As he looks back on his choice to attend Wake Forest, Dr. Young remembered that he did not consider going to UNC-Chapel Hill like most of his friends and those in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill community.
"I suppose my Baptist church roots and my family physician's suggestion made the difference, and that's the best choice I ever made," Dr. Young shared. "I was a Kappa Sigma, a dominant fraternity at that time. Last fall, several fraternity brothers met after a football game. They always kidded me about my having to go to the library. They still kid me about that to this day. "
Originally planning on becoming a surgeon, Dr. Young spent a year in Richmond at Medical College of Virginia (now known as VCU).
"The specialty of radiology was a young specialty in the 50s and 60s," Dr. Young said regarding his career path that saw him serve as a radiologist at Greensboro Radiology for 35 years. "You didn't have the CT scans or MRI scans. A lot of people didn't go into it, because it wasn't very exciting. But I found radiology very interesting and was able to work during a time when the field was changing and developing.
"Now you can't practice medicine without having radiology," Dr. Young shared. "That was the beauty of it, being able to learn and help bring advancements to Greensboro. I was most involved with the beginning of ultrasound, cardiac imaging, mammograms, and PET scanning."
Sports were always an important part of Young and his family's life.
"I grew up in Roxboro where everybody played football, basketball, and baseball and I developed a love for sports at an early age, " he said.
Now, with Dr. Young having originally joined the Deacon Club in 1971, he has enjoyed all that the club has provided over the years – especially those special relationships with members and Wake Forest staff.
"In recent years, my main contacts have been Barry Faircloth (Wake Forest Executive Associate AD) and Mike Piscetelli (Wake Forest Senior Associate AD, Development) who is like my grandson," Dr. Young said.
Young's daughter, Dr. Amy Young Jordan, graduated from Wake Forest in 1993 and was one of the first to enroll in the joint MBA/MD program — which she completed in 1998.
Now a dermatologist in Greensboro, Amy is married to George H. Jordan, a 1992 Wake Forest graduate who is a direct descendant of Wake Forest founder Samuel Wait. They have two sons: Ben Jordan, who is a sophomore on the golf team at Wofford College and Will Jordan, who is a Page High School senior.
His son, Lance Young, graduated from Wake Forest in 1998 and was on the golf team coached by Jack Lewis and Jerry Haas. He first became a basketball sports agent signing Josh Howard and Chris Paul. Lance is now a golf agent with Excel Sports Management and he lives in Miami, Florida. Lance is married to Kathryn Pfeil Young and has a one-year-old daughter, Sienna.
"Our family has enjoyed Wake Forest sports throughout the years," Dr. Young said. "Kyle and Caroline went to the Tangerine Bowl and our entire family, including our two-year-old grandson Ben, went to the Orange Bowl.
Through the Young's commitment and support of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Athletics over the last five-plus decades, life-long relationships have been forged.
Ron Wellman asked Caroline, who was an artist, if she would do a series of paintings for the Norman Snead Club Room in Bridger Field House.Although Caroline already had many promised commissions, she agreed hoping that someday their grandchildren would see the paintings. On the left side of the Snead Room there are four dynamic paintings celebrating Wake Forest football while the right side of the main room on the second floor of Bridger has a series of vibrant six paintings focusing on soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, golf, and track and field.
Spreading their generosity through commitments across the Wake Forest campus has become extremely gratifying for Dr. Young, including the medical school, the Scales Fine Arts Center, the chemistry building, and Arnold Palmer Golf Complex.
"I think it's just being able to support across the board — not just one area," Dr. Young said. "I've tried over the years to support Athletics and the University as well as the medical school. I'm not sure any one thing is more important than the other, but I think it's just the long-time loyalty to Wake Forest in all aspects."
Dr. Young was diagnosed with Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2018, an incurable disorder that makes it difficult for the lungs to get enough oxygen because of inflammation and scarring.
"It's been five years since this diagnosis," Dr. Young said. "In 2022, I had prostate cancer and in 2023 lymphoma, both of which are now in remission after treatment.
"What's really got me through is my great family: my wife, my children, and their spouses and my three grandkids — that's the main thing. It's having such a good, supportive family — I'm so proud of all our family."
And then there's Dr. Young's extended Wake Forest family, as the University, Athletics and the Deacon Club have been such an intertwined part of his family's entire life.
"I think that we've gotten to know Wake Forest leaders, athletic directors, coaches and presidents along the way and have good relationships with them," Dr. Young said. "I think it's just our loyalty, I suppose. Being there — always being there."
Dr. Young was a member of the Deacon Club board in 2012 and he was named Deacon Club Member of the Year in 2009. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1992-2011 and was named as a Life Trustee. In his role as a Life Trustee, Dr. Young remains active on the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee and is extremely committed to helping AD John Currie and he is appreciative of his core goals for Wake Forest Athletics.
Dr. Young was the Chair of BOT Athletics Committee in 2001 when former AD Ron Wellman hired Jim Grobe and Skip Prosser to lead the football and men's basketball programs, respectively.
Meanwhile outside of Athletics, Dr. Young remains a member of the Board of Health Affairs Committee and is excited at the growth of the Wake Forest School of Medicine and the tremendous leadership of Dr. Julie A. Freischlag.
Pete Moffitt Courage Award Recipients
2023 - Dr. Kyle Young ('65, MD '69, P'93, P'98, P'98, P'98)
2022 - Carl Tucker ('68, P '95, P '97, P '04, GP '28)
2021 - Larry McCreary (MALS '09)
2019 – Luke Orman ('04), Track & Field
2018 – Jim "Butch" Williams ('62, J.D.'66, P'89, P92, P'96), Football
2017 – Dr. Wiley Doby ('70, PhD '84, P '02)
2016 – Allan Head ('68, JD '69, P '92, P '98), Track & Field
2015 – Homer Brookshire ('68), Football
2014 – Heather Holmes, Former Volleyball Head Coach
2013 – Rodney Rogers ('94), Men's Basketball
2012 – Tom Walter, Current Baseball Head Coach
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