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Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is best known as a quarterback (QB) for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2005, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
College
Young played college football at Brigham Young University. When he struggled at passing, the coaching staff considered making Young a defensive back. He worked hard to improve his quarterbacking abilities and replaced Jim McMahon as BYU's starting QB in 1982. Young's senior season (1983) was spectacular. He passed for 3,902 yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season, and his 71.3% completion percentage set an NCAA single-season record. He led the Cougars to an 11-1 record and finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, behind Nebraska's Mike Rozier. Young capped his college career by scoring the game-winning touchdown in BYU's 21-17 victory over Missouri in the 1983 Holiday Bowl.
Professional career
Young signed with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League in 1984. After the league folded in 1985, Young played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1985 to 1986. The Bucs went 2-14 each season, and Young's record as starter was 3-16.
When the Bucs used the first overall pick to select Vinny Testaverde, Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on April 24, 1987, to serve as a backup to Joe Montana. The Bucs' received 2nd and 4th round draft picks as compensation (Winston Moss & Bruce Hill.)
Young played under Montana his first several years, but shone as a backup. In 1988, he zig-zagged through the entire Minnesota Vikings team for a 49 yard, playoff game winning touchdown, which is considered by some the greatest running play in the history of the NFL. Following an injury to Montana in the 1990 playoffs, Young got his chance to lead the 49ers in the 1991 season. He won the NFL MVP award in 1992, and would win his second in 1994. He led the 1994 49ers to a victory in Super Bowl XXIX over the Chargers, where he won the Super Bowl MVP award and threw a Super Bowl record 6 touchdowns (TDs). The previous record of 5 TDs belonged to none other than Joe Montana.
In the three years following his Super Bowl win, his 49ers would be eliminated each year by Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, twice in San Francisco, once in Green Bay. However, in 1998, Young would finally best Favre, as he threw the winning touchdown to Terrell Owens as time expired. He played in San Francisco until his retirement after the 1999 season, the major factor being a severe concussion he received three games into the season, his fourth in three years. He went 92-33 as a 49ers starter, improving his career regular season record to 95-49.
After retiring, Young became an analyst for ESPN, and appears every week on NFL Countdown, ABC Sports' coverage of the playoffs and Super Bowl, and on the Super Bowl edition of NFL Primetime.
Legacy
A left-handed thrower, Young was famous for his ability to "scramble" away from the pass rush. He holds the record for most career rushing TDs for QBs (43). He is the only QB in history to have four consecutive seasons with a passer rating of over 100; he also led the league in passer rating those four years, another NFL record. He held the single-season passer rating record, 112.8 (made in the 1994-95 season) until Peyton Manning broke it during the 2004-05 season. He compiled a 70% completion rating, 35 TDs and only 10 interceptions. His career passer rating of 96.8 was the highest of any quarterback in NFL history when he retired. That mark was officially surpassed in 2002, when Kurt Warner made the required 1500 pass attempts to be eligible, dropping Young to second place; Joe Montana is third with a 92.3 rating). By the end of the 2004 season, Young regained his career passer rating record when Warner's career marked dropped. Young's career completion rating (64.3%) was also a record, before Warner (66.4%) qualified.
Young was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 5, 2005 and was enshrined August 7, 2005 becomming the first NFL Hall of Fame quarterback who threw with his left arm.
Other Info
Young is the great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young. Both he and his brother Joseph Young are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 1994, Young graduated from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU.
Young spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2000 leading to speculation that he might be interested in entering politics in the future.
External links
- Steve Young at IMDb