Logan Young

Logan Young (1940-2006) was a Memphis businessman and booster of the University of Alabama football program. In 2005, Young was found guilty in federal court for charges relating to his role in a scheme to pay a high school football coach $150,000 to help recruit a player to Alabama.cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A58965-2005Feb2?language=printer|title=Alabama Booster Convicted|last=Schlabach|first=Mark|date=2005-02-03|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=2008-09-19]

Young attended Vanderbilt University but befriended legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant through his father.cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2405362|title=Young remained a Bama booster to the end|last=Fish|first=Mike|date=2006-04-13|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2008-09-19] . Young inherited an Arkansas food manufacturer and owned the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League in the 1980scite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2405013|title=Convicted Bama booster found dead at his home|date=2006-04-12|publisher=ESPN|work=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-09-19] .

In 2002, the NCAA hit Alabama with severe penalties, including five years probation and the loss of 21 scholarships, for what officials called "some of the worst, most serious violations that have ever occurred."cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2002/0201/1321198.html|title=Alabama banned from bowl games for two years|date=2002-02-01|publisher=ESPN|work=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-09-19] Following an extensive investigation, the governing body's infractions committee concluded that Alabama boosters had paid athletes for their play.

Young was accused of paying Lynn Lang, coach of Memphis's Trezevant High School, $150,000 to send star defensive lineman Albert Means to play for the Crimson Tide. Alabama dissociated Young from the program, banning him from involvement with the program, stripping him of his $40,000 luxury box at Bryant-Denny Stadium and canceling an insurance policy that would have paid $500,000 toward the Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum on campus.

In a first-of-its-kind case, Young was convicted in federal court of conspiracy to commit racketeering, crossing state lines to commit racketeering and arranging bank withdrawals to cover up a crime for his payments to Lang. Young's defense claimed Lang, who was also convicted of a racketeering conspiracy, was motived to testify against Young in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Young was sentenced to six months in prison but was free on appeal when he was found dead in his Memphis home April 11 2006. His death was initially investigated as a homicide, but police concluded his injuries were the result of an accidental fall. [cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191688,00.html|title=Cops: Ala. Booster's Death An Accident, Not Murder|date=2006-04-13|publisher=FOX News|work=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-09-19]

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