Vince Young's magic merely a memory

[milesl]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/082409dnspotaylorcol.33da293.html

It's sad watching Vince Young play football these days. There's no other way to describe it.

The sensational playmaker we saw deliver a national championship to Texas no longer exists. When Young played at UT, you never missed a play because you never knew when he would deliver the spectacular.

All we knew is that it would occur – and if you didn't miss a play, you didn't have to rely on descriptions from friends and other writers that simply wouldn't do it justice.

Frankly, Young should've won the Heisman Trophy instead of Reggie Bush.

All you need to know is on USC's most important play in the national championship game, Bush was standing on the sideline. On UT's most important play in the waning seconds, Young scored the game-winner.

That's among the reasons it was so difficult to watch the Tennessee Titans' backup quarterback play in a preseason game Friday against Dallas. These days, Young plays with none of the swagger of the youngster who once convinced Mack Brown it was OK to be a rapper.



Bobby Carpenter, trying to shed the label of first-round bust, easily tackled him in the open field as though Young was just another buster playing in the fourth quarter of a meaningless preseason game. Which he was.

If the Titans have the courage to deal with the embarrassment, none of us should be shocked if they cut him.

He's just not that good.

It's hard to believe he was recently quoted as saying he would be the next African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl, and that he'll eventually be in the Hall of Fame.

Actually, those comments sound like the kind of empty braggadocio usually associated with prize fighting.

Young can't even beat out Kerry Collins, an over-the-hill, faux starter with a popgun arm. Do you really think the Titans want Collins starting? Of course not.

Young's failure is hard on everyone who watched him dominate at UT.

Roy Williams needed nearly 10 seconds to figure out a way to describe his former teammate's career.

First, Williams smiled. Then he paused. Then he shrugged. Then he looked upward.

Then he smiled awkwardly. Again.

Finally, Williams spoke.

"I wish the best of luck to the guy," he said. "We all know he can play and we all know the things he can do when his head is on right."

We saw a glimpse of what Young could achieve when he helped lead the Titans to the playoffs in his second season with his combination of passing and running.

His career fell apart last season because the hometown crowd booed him and he listened.

Young hasn't been the same since, but it's way too easy to say he's failed because he's too sensitive.

Young hasn't displayed the passing skills necessary to be an upper-echelon quarterback. Young is a career 57.3 percent passer with 21 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, which isn't nearly good enough.

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN
Vince Young, playing in the fourth quarter Friday against the Dallas Cowboys, completed only three of nine passes with one interception. The former UT great played only three games last season and is listed as backup to Kerry Collins on the Titans' depth chart.
View larger More photos Photo store He has a long, slow delivery that worked in college because the cornerbacks aren't as good. In the NFL, the window to complete a pass is much smaller.

In his defense, if you draft a player like Young, he must be the epicenter of the offense to maximize his skills. You can't ask him to make a bunch of reads when he drops back to pass or make him feel like a failure when he runs.

Still, Young isn't the running threat he was at UT because many NFL linebackers are just as fast. No longer is Young the best athlete on the field.

The glory days, for Young, are over.

He can tell his kids that once upon a time, he was the best. There's certainly no shame in being a college legend who failed as a pro.

Archie Griffin is doing quite well

[OklahomaTuba]

Even Chrissy Simms gets more respect than VY does these days.

[stoopified]

VinceYoing? Don't you mean Fumbles McScramble?

[Mjcpr]

Raise your hand if you are surprised that Young has failed as an NFL quarterback. I can't believe anyone thought he was going to be any good.

[fwsooner22]

Better to just ignore the whole thing......He was an incredible college football player who doesn't measure up in the NFL........We all have examples of this....OU is NO exception....in fact our list is quite long.....

[milesl]

http://www.dallasnews.com/img/photo/10-04/1009ou8.jpg
My company filters pics. Let me know if this comes through. I got this article in fark.com. I posted this pic with the caption "The Sooners know how to treat Vince. Now work it Bit@h !"

[badger]

Oh, should have VY won the Heisman based on the championship's biggest plays?

Someone tell the writer that trophy's issued before the big game... it's also issued before the investigative reports reveal the homes, money, etc. given to the player and his family to attend certain universities :rolleyes:

[Blitzkrieg]

<Cough>Tebow<cough>

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

Oh, should have VY won the Heisman based on the championship's biggest plays?

See also: Josh Heupel

[badger]

See also: Josh Heupel

I know... it's like COME ON, man! "All you need to know is on USC's most important play in the national championship game, Bush was standing on the sideline. On UT's most important play in the waning seconds, Young scored the game-winner."

"All you need to know" is when that stupid stiffy armed thing is dropped on the winner's toe... BEFORE the game!

[BoulderSooner79]

I like players like Vince Young; guys that don't fit the NFL prototype, but can be huge successes at the college level. I still love the college game, but watch very little NFL for that reason. The NFL seems to be so formula these days and every team tries to do the same thing. I find NFL games very boring until the playoffs and don't really care about the teams by then. It's a bummer when guys like Young have problems dealing with the NFL reality instead of just moving on. We had lots of wishbone guys that had to do it.

[ouleaf]

I definitely think this hurts Tebow's stock for next year, as it should. They do have different tendencies on the field, but they are very similar in a lot of ways too. NFL teams that put too much stock in Tebow should be wary. They will wind up with another VY on their team.

[Boomer_Sooner_sax]

I think God every day that the Texans drafted Mario Williams over both Bush and Young. Oh, and where are all of those writers who should be eating crow over criticizing the Texans for that draft pick??

[Partial Qualifier]

The article fails to mention how the Titans front office & coaching staff essentially set F.M. (and themselves) up for failure. It started off bad: they drafted this guy too high (unrealistic expectations) and then expected him to adapt to a Norm Chow-designed offense. Hello, Stupid -- meet Idiotic!

[soonersam]

Did he really write??
"Young's failure is hard on everyone who watched him dominate at UT."

Am I the only one who remembers his first three years??

[NormanPride]

Quincy Carter.

[JLEW1818]

I think God every day that the Texans drafted Mario Williams over both Bush and Young. Oh, and where are all of those writers who should be eating crow over criticizing the Texans for that draft pick??


me 2, at the time i wanted Bush tho...

Good move by the Texans

[soonerloyal]

Better to just ignore the whole thing......He was an incredible college football player who doesn't measure up in the NFL........We all have examples of this....OU is NO exception....

This. :(

[footballfanatic]

I have to admit that Vince has probably seen his best days. He certainly looked clueless out there. But, if he would look harder, he would see that his team's starting QB had MANY hard years. Glad to see that Collins has turned it around. Vince should listen, learn, practice hard, and keep away from interviews.

[silverwheels]

I'm sure most Texas fans are just glad that he gave them their first national title since 1970, although the ones that were trashing guys like Merrill Hoge for saying that Vince wouldn't make it as a pro QB have to be feeling pretty stupid right now. Vince has a lot of work to do if he is going to stay in the NFL as a QB.

[badger]

Not that I'm a VY fan, but there's potential for Vince to still be an all right QB in the Neffel. Dude was a pro bowler his first season, after all. He doesn't totally suck.

[silverwheels]

Not that I'm a VY fan, but there's potential for Vince to still be an all right QB in the Neffel. Dude was a pro bowler his first season, after all. He doesn't totally suck.

IIRC, he only made the Pro Bowl because Trent Green and Steve McNair were unable to play due to injury, and he won Rookie of the Year that season because there were no outstanding rookies.

[badger]

Hey, all I said that was that he didn't totally suck. This, by no means, means that he doesn't partially or even mostly suck.

[goingoneight]

Texas fans also had like a 24 page thread on hornfans claiming how much Sam Bradford would suck.

The moral of the story... Vince was a college legend. He has professional-grade athleticism, doesn't necessarily translate to being a successful quarterback. My advice, and honestly, I know nothing being just a message-boarder... try another position or warm the bench the rest of your career, Vince.

Now, someone read that for him, please.

[Dan Thompson]

I like anyone that beats USC.

[Curly Bill]

Raise your hand if you are surprised that Young has failed as an NFL quarterback. I can't believe anyone thought he was going to be any good.

Egg-zactly.

[rainiersooner]

Did he really write??
"Young's failure is hard on everyone who watched him dominate at UT."

Am I the only one who remembers his first three years??

Exactly: he sucked until his last season, when he met a rebuilding OU that he couldn't beat before. Big deal. Don't get me wrong - I thought he was amazing in the Rose Bowl. But he did NOT have a dominating college career by any stretch of the imagination.

[sooneron]

Exactly: he sucked until his last season, when he met a rebuilding OU that he couldn't beat before. Big deal. Don't get me wrong - I thought he was amazing in the Rose Bowl. But he did NOT have a dominating college career by any stretch of the imagination.

THREE GAMES

mighigan in the rose bowl _ they weren't that good
osu when they came from behind in the 2nd half _ hey, they're our aggies
usc _ at least he beat them, although their d was way inferior to the one that we faced, maybe the offense was better.

[footballfanatic]

Exactly: he sucked until his last season, when he met a rebuilding OU that he couldn't beat before. Big deal. Don't get me wrong - I thought he was amazing in the Rose Bowl. But he did NOT have a dominating college career by any stretch of the imagination.

People who win MVP of the Rose Bowl, as Vince did for his incredible game as a sophmore against Michigan, do not suck. It was one of the most incredible performances by a QB ever--until his next year. Yes, he had bad games as a freshman and sophmore, but he also played really well. I am certainly not defending him now. He looked awful against Dallas.

[CK Sooner]

People who win MVP of the Rose Bowl, as Vince did for his incredible game as a sophmore against Michigan, do not suck. It was one of the most incredible performances by a QB ever--until his next year. Yes, he had bad games as a freshman and sophmore, but he also played really well. I am certainly not defending him now. He looked awful against Dallas.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/tannerholmes/mack06_new.gif

[ashley]

I like players like Vince Young; guys that don't fit the NFL prototype, but can be huge successes at the college level. I still love the college game, but watch very little NFL for that reason. The NFL seems to be so formula these days and every team tries to do the same thing. I find NFL games very boring until the playoffs and don't really care about the teams by then. It's a bummer when guys like Young have problems dealing with the NFL reality instead of just moving on. We had lots of wishbone guys that had to do it.

Perfect and very true without a cheap shot.

[bluedogok]

Did he really write??
"Young's failure is hard on everyone who watched him dominate at UT."

Am I the only one who remembers his first three years??
Didn't he only play three years at UT turning pro after his redshirt junior season? That would be the situation for Bradford should he declare after this season.

[Breadburner]

The quarterback (nfl) position is not a good spot for someone with a weak mind....

[SoonerShark]

Did he really write??
"Young's failure is hard on everyone who watched him dominate at UT."

Am I the only one who remembers his first three years??

Year one: redshirt loss to OU
Year two: freshman loss to OU
Year three: sophomore loss to OU by 52
Year four: junior win over OU. Threw two interceptions, called back for questionable reasons.

[westcoast_sooner]

Go back and look at his high school highlight videos and you'll see an incredible prospect. Then remember that for one year - from the UM Rose Bowl game until they beat USC - he was one of the most talented electrifying players ever.

But before he was drafted for the NFL, the knocks on him were his throwing motion, and his Wonderlic (sp?) results.

Is it a wonder he's not tearing up the league. This is the NFL. In college, he could run a zone-read the entire game and be successful. Teams would have to worry about him running so much, it gave his questionable arm some success at finding open receivers to help out. But in the NFL, a zone-read game isn't going to be successful for very long, and his arm has been exposed.

Good for Vince for going to the NFL and taking the money he was offered. Sorry things didn't work out. Next.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Really is anyone surprised by this? The guy would be better suited to playing receiver than QB in the NFL and almost everyone knew that from the beginning

[SoonerShark]

Didn't he only play three years at UT turning pro after his redshirt junior season? That would be the situation for Bradford should he declare after this season.

Technically, UT was 1-3 against OU with Vince on campus, albeit as a redshirt his first year. McCoy is 3-1 while on campus. Hope it's not 4-1.

[RedstickSooner]

Raise your hand if you are surprised that Young has failed as an NFL quarterback. I can't believe anyone thought he was going to be any good.

I was so dumbfounded that Wunderlic had managed to pull off a decent season -- and even went so far as to grace the cover of Madden -- that I began to doubt whether:

1) I really understood football, in any fundamental manner.

2) Whether my understanding of causality was, in fact, sound or even reasonable.

3) If it was time to find some other sport to watch and obsess over.

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that one-year period when the press and at least some portion of the NFL claimed that VY, of all people, was up to the task of running plays at the professional level.

[Jacie]

There was discussion after his first pro season that NFL QB's were evolving into the McNabb/Vick/Young type of player.

As rare as NFL QB's are (the dropback passing variety) guys who can play the way those three did in college are even rarer and as Vinnie is slowly learning, the NFL game doesn't play the same as college. It just doesn't work for a runner who can sometime throw . . .

Well ,I guess two out of three ain't bad.

As for his record against Oklahoma, how different might that have been had he not fumbled the ball away inside the 5 yard line on that first drive when he replaced Chrissy . . .