duncan228
01-13-2009, 03:38 AM
Young's lost season drifts into nowhere (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/buck_harvey/Youngs_lost_season_drifts_into_nowhere.html)
Buck Harvey
Vince Young was everywhere this past month. Colt McCoy followed his legacy at Texas, and Tim Tebow won a title with Young's stamp of leadership and competitiveness.
UT even saw his reincarnation firsthand. Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor has Young's size and stride, and maybe his collegiate future, too.
Still, Young was also nowhere. And while that was clearly evident Saturday, when he didn't play in the Titans' loss to the Ravens, just as telling was what he did while he watched.
He stood apart — as if he still has no clue what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.
Jeff Fisher stayed optimistic Monday. Then, after Kerry Collins said he wants to re-sign with Tennessee, Fisher applauded the news, yet made sure to include Young in the discussion.
Young also will be back, Fisher said. And he eventually will play quarterback for the Titans again.
Fisher had been saying something similar since September. Then, when Young was hurt and eventually benched, Fisher said Young would benefit by watching Collins.
Young never had this luxury before. Now he could see firsthand how a veteran prepared.
But the process proved impossible to reverse. Once a rookie of the year, Young couldn't accept being an intern again. The same demons that rose in Young last fall festered throughout the season; he has shown little work ethic or perspective.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated says this. He hung around the Titans last week, and a Titans source confirmed to King what he saw firsthand. Young chose to be isolated, apart from the guys — especially Collins and Chris Simms, Young's former Texas teammate.
“Young gives off about the worst body language of any backup quarterback I've ever seen,” King concluded Monday.
Young sat alone on the bench before the Baltimore game while Collins and Simms warmed up. Before the opening kickoff, Young remained on the bench while Collins and Simms talked. Only when the offensive coordinator called everyone in did Young get involved, and he walked away as soon as the conference was over.
Just a month ago, Mack Brown saw more promise. He's always been in Young's corner, and so he projected the best.
“He's doing really well right now,” Brown told the Houston Chronicle then, “and I wouldn't be surprised if he helped the Titans win the Super Bowl.”
The prediction always seemed possible. Had Collins limped off in a playoff game, and Fisher had no choice but to give Young a chance, Young might have displayed the big-game instincts that made him a legend in Austin. Tense moments never scared him.
Besides, in the age of the Wildcat offense and direct snaps, wouldn't it have made sense for the Titans to do something special with Young?
Ohio State tried the same with Pryor in the Fiesta Bowl. If it seemed at first to be a gimmick — splitting Pryor wide against Texas — it wasn't when the other Ohio State quarterback lobbed a fade to Pryor for a touchdown.
Perhaps such creativity went against Fisher's nature. Or perhaps Fisher wondered if he would have insulted Young by asking him to fill a different role.
Other playoff quarterbacks, such as Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb, have been through worse. But Young continues to think he's different. He thinks being a leader means being the Alpha male; if that worked in college, here it's seen as unprofessional.
Fisher acts as if anything is still possible for Young. Still, when Fisher talked about Young on Monday, he used the phrases that coaches use on players who still don't get it. He talked about Young “committing himself to the offseason program,” and “just doing the best he possibly can to make himself a better football player.”
As it was with Brown, Fisher was being hopeful. Collins is 36; Fisher needs Young to come around.
But Young had a lot of time this season to get over his pride, to accept his team winning without him. And, to the very end, he remained off to the side.
Nowhere.
Buck Harvey
Vince Young was everywhere this past month. Colt McCoy followed his legacy at Texas, and Tim Tebow won a title with Young's stamp of leadership and competitiveness.
UT even saw his reincarnation firsthand. Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor has Young's size and stride, and maybe his collegiate future, too.
Still, Young was also nowhere. And while that was clearly evident Saturday, when he didn't play in the Titans' loss to the Ravens, just as telling was what he did while he watched.
He stood apart — as if he still has no clue what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.
Jeff Fisher stayed optimistic Monday. Then, after Kerry Collins said he wants to re-sign with Tennessee, Fisher applauded the news, yet made sure to include Young in the discussion.
Young also will be back, Fisher said. And he eventually will play quarterback for the Titans again.
Fisher had been saying something similar since September. Then, when Young was hurt and eventually benched, Fisher said Young would benefit by watching Collins.
Young never had this luxury before. Now he could see firsthand how a veteran prepared.
But the process proved impossible to reverse. Once a rookie of the year, Young couldn't accept being an intern again. The same demons that rose in Young last fall festered throughout the season; he has shown little work ethic or perspective.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated says this. He hung around the Titans last week, and a Titans source confirmed to King what he saw firsthand. Young chose to be isolated, apart from the guys — especially Collins and Chris Simms, Young's former Texas teammate.
“Young gives off about the worst body language of any backup quarterback I've ever seen,” King concluded Monday.
Young sat alone on the bench before the Baltimore game while Collins and Simms warmed up. Before the opening kickoff, Young remained on the bench while Collins and Simms talked. Only when the offensive coordinator called everyone in did Young get involved, and he walked away as soon as the conference was over.
Just a month ago, Mack Brown saw more promise. He's always been in Young's corner, and so he projected the best.
“He's doing really well right now,” Brown told the Houston Chronicle then, “and I wouldn't be surprised if he helped the Titans win the Super Bowl.”
The prediction always seemed possible. Had Collins limped off in a playoff game, and Fisher had no choice but to give Young a chance, Young might have displayed the big-game instincts that made him a legend in Austin. Tense moments never scared him.
Besides, in the age of the Wildcat offense and direct snaps, wouldn't it have made sense for the Titans to do something special with Young?
Ohio State tried the same with Pryor in the Fiesta Bowl. If it seemed at first to be a gimmick — splitting Pryor wide against Texas — it wasn't when the other Ohio State quarterback lobbed a fade to Pryor for a touchdown.
Perhaps such creativity went against Fisher's nature. Or perhaps Fisher wondered if he would have insulted Young by asking him to fill a different role.
Other playoff quarterbacks, such as Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb, have been through worse. But Young continues to think he's different. He thinks being a leader means being the Alpha male; if that worked in college, here it's seen as unprofessional.
Fisher acts as if anything is still possible for Young. Still, when Fisher talked about Young on Monday, he used the phrases that coaches use on players who still don't get it. He talked about Young “committing himself to the offseason program,” and “just doing the best he possibly can to make himself a better football player.”
As it was with Brown, Fisher was being hopeful. Collins is 36; Fisher needs Young to come around.
But Young had a lot of time this season to get over his pride, to accept his team winning without him. And, to the very end, he remained off to the side.
Nowhere.