Former Tennessee Titans first-round pick Vince Young is attempting to reignite his football career at age 33.
Young, who announced his retirement two years ago after accepting a fundraising position at the University of Texas, has hired veteran agent Leigh Steinberg, who announced the news on Twitter, to represent him in his comeback try.
#VinceYoung Welcome new client @VinceYoung10 who has dream of playing more football,being role model @Longhorn_FB @LonghornNetwork
— Leigh Steinberg (@leighsteinberg) February 15, 2017
Young guided the Texas Longhorns to a national championship, besting Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl following the 2005 season in what has been regarded as one of the best college football performances in history.
He was drafted No. 3 overall by the Titans at the insistence of team owner Bud Adams, and rewarded Adams’ faith in him by winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006.
Young’s Titans’ career, however, was filled with plenty of ups and downs, as he played poorly at times in his second season despite Tennessee reaching the playoffs.
Young went missing in the days following the 2008 season opener, and police were asked to assist in locating him. The Titans’ star was benched for most of the remainder of that season in favor of Kerry Collins, who guided Tennessee to a 13-3 record.
In 2009, after the Titans began the year 0-6, Young was reinstalled as the starter and held the position until midway through the 2010 season when he injured his thumb, then later stormed out of the locker room after a loss to the Washington Redskins after cursing at Titans coach Jeff Fisher. Young was placed on injured reserve, and as soon as the NFL lockout ended in 2011, the Titans severed their ties with him. Earlier in the 2010 season, Young had been benched in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after being late for a meeting and then missing a makeup meeting.
He wound up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup, where he spent one season before being released. He later had brief stints with Buffalo, Green Bay and Cleveland, but failed to stick with any of those teams for a regular-season game.
Young’s supporters point to his 31-19 career record as a starting quarterback as a sign of his success.
Detractors have pointed to previous bouts with maturity issues, as well as his mediocre career passing statistics (46 touchdowns to 51 interceptions).
A newly planned league called the Spring League, according to reports, may have interest in giving Young and other former NFL quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel, who have washed out of pro football, a chance to resurrect their careers.
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