Don’t call it a comeback; Young joins Riders
Years removed from his glory days in the NCAA and NFL, Vince Young faces an uphill battle trying to resurrect his pro football career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The CFL club took a flyer on Young, signing the former Texas Longhorns star to a two-year deal (one year plus an option). The 33-year-old spent eight years in the NFL, but last played in a regular-season game in 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I wouldn’t say (this is) a comeback, I’d just say an opportunity,” Young said at a news conference Thursday in Regina. “I always wanted to play football again, but didn’t know how it was going to happen. “God always works in mysterious ways.” The six-foot-five, 232-pound Young was 30-2 at Texas and in 2005 led the school to an NCAA title. He was drafted in the first round, third overall, by the Tennessee Titans and was the league’s top rookie and went to the Pro Bowl that season. In 2009, Young was named comeback player of the year and earned his second Pro Bowl nomination.
But the Houston native has been out of football since 2014 — when he retired after being released by the Cleveland Browns.
However, his biggest challenge isn’t simply chipping away the rust. It’s trying to do so while venturing into a completely different game.
Canadian football is not only played on a longer, wider field but also features one less down and one more player on the field. And while in the NFL only one offensive player can be moving when the ball is snapped, unlimited motion is allowed in the CFL, sometimes creating organized chaos.
Canadian football is predominately an aerial game requiring pinpoint accuracy from the quarterback. Every CFL starter last year completed at least 65 per cent of his passes.
At Texas, Young was a 61.8 per cent passer but sported a 57.9 per cent mark over his NFL career. He threw more interceptions (51) than touchdowns (46) despite posting a 30-17 record as a starter.
“It’s certainly a different game,” said Chris Jones, Saskatchewan’s head coach/GM. “It’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment, but again we’ve got mini-camp and (training) camp and I’m fully confident that he can make that adjustment.”
Few quarterbacks have succeeded coming to Canada after starting their pro career in the NFL. Doug Flutie was the exception, starring in the CFL with B.C., Calgary and Toronto (1990-97) following stints with Chicago (1986-87) and New England (1987-89).
Flutie was the CFL’s outstanding player six times and won three Grey Cups before returning to the NFL.
Kerry Joseph came north in 2003 after being released by the Seattle Seahawks following four seasons as a safety. He played quarterback in the CFL, winning the league’s outstanding player honour in ’07 before leading the Riders to a Grey Cup title.
Young was emphatic he’s not taking the Canadian league or its players for granted.
“It’s football and when you put on that helmet you can get your head knocked off out there,” he said. “I always respect the game . . . because you know what players go through behind the scenes.
“We’re human and we live life as well, so I respect each and every last guy who plays this game.”