07-23-2007, 09:39 PM
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#28 (permalink)
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FBF Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 8,548
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Quote:
Expect Young to keep performing, winning
Titans quarterback too much of a winner to hit sophomore slump
OPINION
By Bill Williamson
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 20 minutes ago
Bill Williamson
Vince Young’s play will stay at a Pro Bowl level this season.
Yes, Young already has a trip to Hawaii in his NFL scrapbook after one season. If the kid can book a Pro Bowl berth in a truncated rookie season, why can’t more success come in his first full season as the quarterback of the Tennessee Titans?
Yet, one of the burning questions around the NFL as training camps commence seems to be whether Young can have success in Tennessee. Don't worry. The guy is a already an NFL star. Hall of Fame-type potential. There’s no way this should be a storyline of the summer. The concentration should be on how Michael Vick’s indictment will impact the Falcons, Donovan McNabb’s recovery in Philadelphia, Randy Moss’ impact on New England, Peyton Manning’s title defense. Not Vince Young.
The kid is a guaranteed success. Why? Because Vince Young has yet to fail.
While Young is just 24, he is a proven winner. He was a unique talent in college. At 6-5, 230, Young had it all. Great arm, great legs, big-time playmaker.
Yet, he was overshadowed by the NFL’s 33rd team, Southern California and its bushel of NFL-like talent. Heading into the Rose Bowl in Jan., 2006, Young was nearly an afterthought during the month-plus of pre-game hype. It was all about the hometown Trojans and their two-headed Heisman Trophy backfield, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Young was looked at as the other good player in the game, but he wasn’t Leinart or Bush. OK. Fine.
We all remember what happened because Young put together one of the greatest individual performances in collegiate sport history as he conquered USC.
Young is a winner.
Yet, he has been continued to be questioned, as if he was too good to be true. A month after smoking USC, Young’s NFL status was questioned by reports that he scored a horrifyingly low score on the Wonderlic intelligence test administered to all prospects at the NFL combine.
Young never looked stupid while racking up wins at Texas.
Of course, it’s the Houston Texans — Young is a Houston boy to boot — whose intelligence was questioned as they bypassed Young in favor of North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, who had an average rookie season. While Williams was average, Young was spectacular.
He didn’t start until the Titans’ fourth game, but his impact was furious.
The guy improved nearly weekly and by December, he was the clear-cut choice for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. And the Titans were suddenly AFC playoff contenders. After starting 0-5, the Titans rode Young’s back — Longhorns style — and won six straight games in November and December. And it was because of Young.
The kid threw for 2,199 yards and added another 552 yards rushing as he averaged a remarkable 6.7 yards per run. In his first NFL season, Young was the same dominant, game-changing player as he was at Texas.
Why isn’t he going to continue? Young is only going to get better. He needs to improve upon his 51 percent completion rate — and he will. All NFL quarterbacks struggle early with their accuracy but Young was still special even as he was figuring out how to be an NFL passer. While he’ll continue to learn how to be a NFL thrower, Young always has his legs. Unlike Michael Vick, who relies too much on his legs, Young seems comfortable both as a passer and a runner. Plus, with his unusual size, there is no major durability issues.
Still, some think Young can suffer as a sophomore.
The only potential problem Young will have in 2007 is that his team is seemingly even less talented than it was going into last season. It has lost several key players, including underrated running back Travis Henry. Young may not have a whole lot to work with.
But he took over a 4-12 team when he entered the league and he made the Titans a contender. This is what makes Young special. He single-handily makes a major difference.
He is the reason why Texas beat USC. He is the reason why Tennessee came alive after that 0-5 start. And he is the reason why the Titans will win their share of games.
Go ahead, count Young out for 2007. It’s happened before. Maybe after this year, it won’t happen again. SOURCE[/b]
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