Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans

April 29, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Carland B. Whitaker and Bryce McRae
Edited by Cory J. Bonini

The University of Texas' Rose Bowl victory, by a score of 41-38, over the University of Southern California (USC) for the 2005 NCAA National Championship, may have spawned more speculation about the upcoming NFL draft than, perhaps, in any year in the past.

That game featured two Heisman Trophy winners on a team that practically all football pundits conceded would handily win the national title, and a Heisman Trophy runner-up who stood out as the "Lone Ranger" on his team.

Following the game, quarterback Vince Young (Texas) received so many accolades that sportswriters literally ran out of superlatives with which to label him. It was as though, in spite of the press he had received prior to that game, the nation finally believed Young just might be the real deal.

After serious thought, discussion, and, by his own admission, prayer, Young declared that he would seek employment in the NFL for the 2006 season. Why not? It is probably impossible for his value to be any higher than it became after the Rose Bowl win.

Table: Vince Young - Passing Statistics (2003-05)

Year	Att	Comp	Pct	Yards	TDs
2003	143	84	58.7	1,155	6
2004	250	148	59.2	1,849	12
2005	325	212	65.2	3,036	26
Career	718	444	61.8	6,040	44

His 2005 resume includes: runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award (nation's top player), Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Trophy (nation's top quarterback), American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team (for work with charitable organizations/community service efforts), consensus first-team All-America and (unanimously) Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Table: Vince Young - Rushing Statistics (2003-05)

Year	Att	Yards	Avg	TDs
2003	135	998	7.4	11
2004	167	1,079	6.5	14
2005	147	850	6.8	12
Career	449	3,070	6.8	37

Young has good size, a strong, accurate arm, good footwork, great foot speed and tremendous athletic ability. In addition, he has phenomenal leadership ability, poise beyond his years and is well-grounded as a person.

His negatives include his release point which tends to be sidearm and may cause throws to be batted down at the line and tends to affect the accuracy of some of his throws. As with many talented young quarterbacks, he also tends to force passes when there is an easier target available and may leave the pocket a bit prematurely.

On balance, Young is considered to be one of the nation's top quarterbacks. His speed and agility would make him the second most feared running quarterback in the NFL; his arm strength will allow him to make the throws he needs to. He'll more than likely need to change his release point, but the NFL coaching staff will fix that.

One thing seems certain. Young has a rare talent and, in spite of doubt along with criticism, has proven himself repeatedly at every level of competition. It's a good bet he will succeed in the NFL.

Pre-draft, the consensus was that Young would be drafted third, after two of the best prospects to come along in years. The first pick belonged to the Houston Texans, who ended up taking North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams.

The second pick belonged to the New Orleans Saints. With Williams being the surprise No. 1 pick, the Saints pounced on University of South California running back Reggie Bush.

Young was picked by the Tennessee Titans, who drafted third overall. Titans quarterback Steve McNair is Young's hero as well as mentor, which is a great fit for the rookie, and in the (not very) long run, for the Titans as well.

Summary

The Titans bypassed what was thought to the safer pick, University of South California quarterback Matt Leinart, but they now have a quarterback who should follow in the footsteps of McNair. The question now is; will McNair be there when Young is with the team?

There are two potential scenarios that could come to fruition in Nashville. The first is the team restructures his contract, and he returns to the team. This is increasingly looking to be unlikely with the way that the team has treated McNair and the growing animosity between the two parties. However, the drafting of Young could entice McNair to return; it is, at the very least, a step in the right direction.

The second scenario is that the team releases McNair to have Volek and Young will compete for the starting spot at quarterback. Volek would probably have the better shot at the starting job this year, and the Titans would hope he would be a decent one-year starter before turning the job over to Young for the 2007-08 season.

It should not be too hard for Young to adapt to the Titans offense,as he is a quarterback that is very similar to last year's starter Steve McNair.

If past history is any indication, Young will quickly surpass all expectations, even those that come with being a top three draft pick.

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Carland B. Whitaker

Carland Whitaker, a graduate journalist, is a fierce competitor of fantasy football. A former high school football coach, he brings a unique "old school" philosophy and passion for the game. Carland has been a KFFL contributor since 2004.

Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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