RIDERS FEELING YOUNG AT HEART

RE G I NA Vince Young has been out of football since 2014 and, in a sense, so have the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Maybe they are perfect for each other.

Sarcasm aside, what if the signing of the former NFL quarterback turns out to be an inspired move by Roughriders football operations boss Chris Jones?

On Thursday, when Young was introduced at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, it was impossible not to wonder: What if?

It may be a stretch to think a quarterback who turns 34 on May 18 — someone who announced his retirement in 2014 — can make a seamless transition to a new league. But for such a best-case scenario to materialize, Young will have to ensure his best performance of the year was not at the press conference, which he handled impressively and with humility.

“You can’t just go out there because of your name,” he said. “You get hit in the mouth because of the name.”

Young added that “it’s not about Vince” — even though Thursday’s media conference was, in fact, entirely about Vince — and underlined his excitement.

“I always wanted to play football again,” he said, “but I didn’t know how it was going to happen.”

Then he met Jones, who has been going everywhere in search of talent. One of those stops was in Austin, Texas, where he watched Young work out.

“He threw the ball outstanding,” Jones said. “I came out of the (workout facility) the other day with a big smile on my face.”

He’s not the only one happy about Young joining the team.

“I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to be here and to play here,” Young said in a video message posted on the Riders’ website. “I’m from Texas. We have southern hospitality down there. We do more than handshakes down there. We do a little bit of hugs. So, when you see me, give me a hug.”

That invitation, by the way, does not extend to would-be tacklers.