You know times have changed when you hear Michael Vick talking about being the trusty old veteran who’s looking forward to showing a young player the ropes. But that’s the role Vick hopes to play now that Vince Young is about to become his backup quarterback in Philadelphia.
“Looking forward to working with him,” Vick said of Young, via CSNPhilly.com. “We’ll spend a lot of time getting to know one another. It’s cool – I look forward to having him in here, look forward to making him a better player.”
Young could certainly learn a thing or two from Vick: Vick has figured out how to become a reliable passer in addition to having other-worldly running ability, and Vick has become a student of the game and team leader rather than a guy who thinks his natural talent means he doesn’t need to work hard.
Vick also said he hopes to teach Young that you have to shrug it off if the fans get on you.
“We all have problems with booing,” Vick said. “We all hate getting booed. It’s just part of the game. You’ve got to take the bad with the good. As much praise as you get, you might get scrutinized and criticized, but I think that only makes you better as a person and as a player, and you just have to keep going.”
Sounds like Young will have a good mentor in Philadelphia.