Vince Young had a revelation while watching the NFL in the last year — if some very subpar quarterbacks can start in the league, why can’t he?
The 31-year-old former starter retired last year after he was unable to find a spot on an NFL roster, but with the league now offering a venue for veteran players to show their stuff, Young has decided to attempt a comeback.
In an interview with HuffPost Live , Vince Young said he decided to give the NFL another chance after seeing the overall level of talent at quarterback.
“Just watching the season this year, and I don’t want to sound mad, there were some very horrible quarterbacks out there this year… And they said I’m bad? I should be back there playing football and supporting the game that I love and also entertaining people.”
Vince Young had something of an enigmatic career. He burst into the league in 2006 as one of the most talented quarterbacks to take the field in college, including almost singlehandedly carrying his team to the 2005 National Championship Game.
Young had a quick learning curve, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, but things began unraveling not long afterward. He had a strained relationship with coach Jeff Fisher, and the situation came to a head in 2010 when the two had an altercation and Young declared, “I’m not running out on my teammates. I’m running out on you.”
In an interview last year, Vince Young admitted it was a bad decision.
“I definitely do regret getting into it with Coach Fisher down in Tennessee,” Young told In the Loop with Nick & Lopez of SportsRadio 610 in Houston. “It kind of left a bad rap with me and the perception that I’m a bad guy.”
Young failed to find an NFL team since then, playing backup for the Eagles before being cut by the Bills, Packers, and Browns.
But now Vince Young wants another shot . He has announced his intention to compete at the veterans combine, a new twist where older players and free agents have a chance to show off the skills in the same way college players do leading up to the NFL draft.
If the tryout doesn’t get him anywhere, Vince Young at least has a fallback plan. He was hired by the University of Texas last year to serve work in its Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.