Many a fan, analyst, player, and scout doubted Vince Young's potential in the NFL. After all, his college major at Texas was running around college linebackers and safeties, torching defenses his senior year with 3,000 passing yards, 1,000 more on the ground, and 38 total touchdowns.
Traditional NFL logic stated that Young wouldn't be able to run as much against faster, stronger defenses, that his arm mechanics were too unpolished to beat people with the deep ball, and that he had a ton of work to improve as a pocket quarterback.
(Just to be fair, traditional NFL logic said Ryan Leaf was a first round draft pick and Tom Brady was a sixth-rounder.)
So now we're one game from the 2006 season's completion, and Vince Young has the Tennessee Titans — you know, the team who was broken up about the sudden departure of Billy Volek and started Kerry Collins at the beginning of the season — potentially one win away from the playoffs. Granted, three other games need to go Tennessee's way, and that's unlikely, but that's a far cry from what we expected out of a 2-7 team last month.
(To be fair again, Pac-Man Jones and the defense have a lot of credit coming their way for their late season success.)
And most of those doubting fans, analysts, players, and scouts have changed their ways. Most, not all. ESPN's Merril Hoge is still a heathen waiting to be converted. On TV he's said of the Titans, "they hide their quarterback, they do not highlight him." Whatever the flip that means.
Hoge's fervent skepticism of Young's NFL ability is well chronicled in the trenches of YouTube. (That six-game win streak might also be a counterexample.) And in a recent debate on who should be the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sean Salisbury picked Young, while Merril Hoge adamantly went with Reggie Bush.
Article comments
1 - kimberly hall
merril hodge KISS MY BUTT! YOU ARE AN IDIOT, AND CRY BABY, YOUR MOMMA STOLE YOUR BOTTLE, AND YOU DON'T KNOW GREATNESS WHEN ITS SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE AND SPITS ON YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN HIT ON THE HEAD TO MANY TIMES! MAYBE YOUR MOMA DROPPED YOU AS A BABY TO! VINCE YOUNG IS ALL OF THAT AND THEN SOME MORE, AND YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT! THATS FINE, US TITANS FANS, THE TEAM, AND VINCE, DON'T NEED YOUR STUPID CARCASS STINKING UP OUR BANDWAGON ANY WAY! AAAAAAAAALL ABOAAAAAAARD!
2 - RJ Elliott
Young's Wonderlic score (on the second try!) was 16. Which means his IQ is roughly 82. Which means he's mildly retarded. Which means, after his legs fail (say, in his third or fourth years as a pro), he'll look like Joey Harrington out there.
3 - A.J.
RJ ELLIOT, you must be an aggie. Get over it...McNeal was never going to be better than Vince.
4 - RJ Elliott
Young stunk up the joint in Week 17...
5 - joannad82
Ignore the haters! Like Hogg, they are just JEALOUS, JEALOUS, JEALOUS!!!!!!
GOD BLESS VINCE YOUNG!!!
6 - Moh
Yall are all haters man vince young is the best new talent just wait he is gonna make michael vick look like reggie bush does now tennesee is going to the super bowl next year like in 2000 YeA vince young
7 - Knubs
Vince is going to be mvp soon, so dont put that sock in your mouth just yet. As long "As long as he stays healthy, but keeps moving them legs, not to mention the arm. Dont be haters.
8 - wallace
Vince Young is awful. He might not play in the NFL again. You are all morons.
9 - fat dave
Yes vince really revolutionized the position, maybe usain bolt can be an nfl qb, just teach him how to throw like a girl