When Vince Young was drafted by the Titans in April 2006, he looked forward to the opportunity to play with the man he called “Pops.”e have to live with it. I think
they are happy, and I am happy.”
“The perfect scenario would have been me coaching Vince for a couple of years, then letting him take over, but that wasn’t the situation,” McNair once said.
But there would be no transition period, no baton-passing from the third overall pick in 1995 to the third overall pick of eleven years later. The Titans had locked McNair out of the facility in order to avoid a season-ending injury that would have guaranteed a high-dollar salary, which then would have triggered an enormous salary cap hit.
McNair pursued via the Collective Bargaining Agreement a ruling that the team must let him in or cut him loose. Eventually, he prevailed, with Titans subsequently trading McNair to Baltimore.
And so McNair played two more years, but not as Young’s mentor. Given the current status of Young’s career, perhaps that would have been a more prudent approach.
Either way, Young has been significantly affected by McNair’s passing.
“I’m still in shock since hearing the news yesterday,” Young said in comments released by the Titans.
“I spent all afternoon and night thinking about my life on and off the
field with Pops. Since I was a teenager, he was like a father to me.
I hear his advice in my head with everything I do. Life will be
very different without him.”
Hopefully for Young, he’ll follow the example that McNair set, adopting the kind of drive and determination that allowed him to play even when he could barely walk.
Indeed, Young’s best chance to salvage his career might come from dedicating the rest of it to McNair — and then pursuing the craft of playing quarterback exactly like McNair did.
Vince Young reacts to McNair’s death by crying on his mommy’s shoulder uncontrollably to the point where she has to call Coach Fisher home from Kuwait to console him. I guess it would be difficult and emotional to be a pillow biter in the NFL.
Now’s not the time to be making fun of Vince. Show some class SNB666
I’m hoping that this tragedy can be a catalyst for Vince to manifest his full potential. McNair is an ideal player to model one’s physical-style and mental-toughness after. My thoughts go out to Mr. McNair’s family and friends… thanks for the memories, Steve.
Sorry organizedchaos.
I guess until JaMArcus Russell proves he is not a bust I cant throw stones at VY.
Back to what is really fun…Making fun of the UFL!
The UFL is so pathetic that its imaginary fans will find excuses not to attend the games.
The UFL would glady pay some of thier players what they are worth, but it’s against the Minimum Wage Law in some states.
Just like a Raider fan to be a complete asshat. Go be a piece of trash somewhere else snb666. Your team sucks, your city sucks, and you suck. GTFO.
SilvernBlack666:
Screw you. A man lost his life. Four boys lost their father. Society lost a champ.
I hope no one says such bad things about you when it’s time for you to meet your maker.
“Hopefully for Young, he’ll follow the example that McNair set, adopting the kind of drive and determination that allowed him to play even when he could barely walk.”
I can see your point about determination, and McNair should be respected for his grit no doubt….but at the same time, perhaps if he wasn’t so aggressive, took fewer hits, and allowed himself more time to heal, he would still be a starting QB in the league, instead of a different kind of statistic.
TrippleThreat:
Here here.
Thanks for not posting my last post. Censorship at it’s finest. My point condensed and maybe the blog police will find this point worthy to post, snb666 show some class. The guys mentor just died. I guess it’s expected considering the team you support.
Oh look….The online psychologists are offering up a dime store analysis……”I’m hoping this tragedy can be a catalyst for Vince to realize his full potential”…..I suppose, pride, work ethic, leadership, and being tough as nails weren’t enough, McNair had to die for the dim bulb to get it…….
who says he actually “got” anything…
My apologies to the blog moderators. You did publish by post. Albeit 15 minutes after I posted, it but kudos to you.
sbn666… now you change your tone. Nice. Go put on a skeletor mask and some body paint and cheer your team to another 1-15 outing.
To clarify I meant “VY” is a first class chump, not McNair. Maybe after seeing all that McNair has done, and knowing that he (Vince) is a backup 4 life, young will just take his money and go home.
PFT commentors being PFT commentors… They are who we thought they were!
Over/Under on NBC shutting down the comments? 4 more weeks.
Maybe PFT needs the XR4TI…
Way to be classy you ghouls.
Tennessee botched what should have been a seamless changing of the guard. VY needed to sit a couple of years and learn under he leadership and guidance of Steve McNair. The Titans instead ran Steve out of town as soon as they could even against the wishes of the fans and the Tennessee community. Steve played out two more seasons in Baltimore even though he was only a shadow of his former self due to the injuries. One can only wonder what could have been if the Titans had sat Vince and let Steve do his thing for another year or two. I personally think VY would have been more mature and much better off as a result.
I was always a Steve McNair fan. His only peer in toughness in the modern day NFL was Brett Favre (who through no coincidence was a friend and also from the “Sip”). RIP STEVE and may GOD bless his family & friends during this tragic time!
RIP Steve McNair – a great warrior of a football player, unfortunately, everything Vince is not. Vince will be out of the league in 2 years, making public appearances all over Texas to earn a few hundred thousand here and there. Good luck to him.
Again, RIP Steve.
Let me make up for my fellow Raider Fan, by saying the McNair almost beat us by himself, during the 2002 Championship Game. If almost anyone else had made a play here or there (the fumbles at the end of the first half for instance) the Titans might have beaten us that day. Great competitor. That being said, he didn’t need to go out this way, the speculation will end on what happened soon and we will all know, and no matter what happened we will realize it was totally preventable. Too bad, I think Tennessee hosed him.
Is being a Raiders fan such a bitter existence that you can’t even show a little respect to someone who was murdered? Let alone the fact that he was a class guy and is potential Hall of Famer for this game we all love.
Sgt. Alone…and for the obvious reasons.
Why are you bringing the death of McNair into this I was making fun of VY – two very different topics.
I loved watching Steve Mcnair play I don’t think that there was a tougher person physically to play that position and I have said so in previous threads.
They should teach you how to read in the military Sgt.
My point always has been and still is this. …I don’t care what some over hyped feminine bust (vy) thinks about the stud that was Steve Mcnair.
Sorry if that offends some of you.
snb666 you sorry piece of crap. u dont deserve life urself. my wish 4 u my friend is 4 something horrible to happen to u u smart ass. he lost a father figure. ur an uncaompassinate jackass and i hate u u piece of sh***
i hate u snb666. go die somewhere
snb66 u are an uncompasinate jackass and donnt deserve life. STFU