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By BARRY WILNER, AP Football Writer
January 3, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- Vince Young looks as if he'll make the NFL his personal playground, too.
The dynamic quarterback for the Tennessee Titans won The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year Award on Wednesday. He did it in the same fashion he turned around the Titans' season -- running away from the rest of the field.
Young, who led Texas to the 2005 national championship and was the third overall pick in last April's draft, overwhelmed one of the strongest rookie classes in NFL history. He received 23 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league.
That easily beat New Orleans wide receiver Marques Colston and Jacksonville running back Maurice Drew, who had nine apiece; San Diego tackle Marcus McNeill (6); and Saints running back Reggie Bush (3).
Running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams of Tampa Bay won the award last year. Young is the third member of the Tennessee-Houston franchise to take top rookie honors: Earl Campbell in 1978 and Eddie George in 1996 did it for the Houston Oilers.
Young was the catalyst in Tennessee' rally from 0-5 to 8-8, at times looking as unstoppable for the Titans as he did with the Longhorns. A starter from Week 4, Young sprinkled all kinds of spectacular big plays with a growing maturity in joining Ben Roethlisberger (2004) as the only quarterbacks to win top rookie honors in the 49-year history of the award.
"A lot of people said it couldn't be done, especially at my position," Young said Wednesday from Houston. "I just worked hard to get to that position behind the scenes, to get to the point of getting into the race of trying to get rookie of the year."
Young became the first rookie quarterback to rush for more than 500 yards in the Super Bowl era, and his passing skills improved all year under coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Norm Chow.
"I like to go out there and play the game and show that I can deliver the ball down the field, and that I can use my legs at the right time, when its time to use my legs, and checking the ball down, just being a quarterback," Young said. "I want to change the game a little bit."
He's already helped change the perception of what a first-year quarterback can do given playing time. Young sat and learned for barely a month while Kerry Collins started and the Titans struggled. Then Fisher turned to the youngster well before he'd planned.
And Young delivered as the Titans threatened to become the first team to lose its opening five games and then make the playoffs. They were in contention until the final weekend, thanks greatly to a six-game winning streak that included a remarkable comeback from 21-0 down in the final 10 minutes to beat the Giants.
"Everything took off from that game," Young admitted.
"He was very prepared when he got here because of the experience he had in college," said Fisher, who along with Tennessee's scouts and general manager Floyd Reese chose Young over Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler in the draft. "We knew that he had a chance to improve and obviously that's why we went ahead and started him when we did. We felt like he was ready."
Chow, who worked with Heisman Trophy winners Leinart and Carson Palmer at Southern California, is considered one of the finest teachers of quarterbacks in the business. What does he like most about Young, who left Texas after his junior season?
"Besides the physical skills, it's the will and the strength inside, the 'it' factor that a quarterback either has or doesn't have," Chow said. "Obviously, he has it. The quickness in which he won the team over and the quickness in which he became the leader, the guy everybody looked up to, that was special.
"Vince Young has this great ability to lift others around him. To see him do it so quickly, that wasn't a surprise, but it was certainly good to see."
Perhaps Young's finest moment was a 39-yard TD run in overtime to beat Houston, his hometown team which bypassed the Lone Star State hero to take defensive end Mario Williams atop the draft. There seemed to be as many Titans No. 10 jerseys in Reliant Stadium as any Texans shirts.
"It was a great ending," Young said. "Being from Houston and being in front of my family and the fans that respect me as a player and a person, as well, it can't get any better than that."
You start out motorcycling with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
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Pretty good pick there.
I still think if Colston would've been healthy all season he'd have had it, but Vince came on strong in the secon half of the season and led Tennessee to a pretty good season.
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I don't know about that...
I think that any player that Houston took in the first round wasn't going to make a huge difference. By taking a defensive player they were able to get a quality player that wouldn't have a huge burden on his shoulders right off the bat.
Vince Young on the Texans would be a totally different player than Vince Young on the Titans...same goes for Reggie Bush.
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In Life, Try To Be The Kind Of Person Your Dog Thinks You Are...
Colts, 49ers, Lions, 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, MSU Spartans, USC Trojans, LSU Tigers
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250--SV-650 rear shock, Sonic Springs .80kg/mm front springs, ZX-2R graphics, flush mount front signals, tail pod rear signals, Kerker 2-1 race pipe, Factory Pro Stage 3 jet kit, UNI pod filters, ZG Double Bubble, Custom Creations soft vinyl seat cover, Kawi Green rim stripes, carbon brake fluid cap, carbon control levers, No Rear Fender, Yamaha R1 Style Mirrors, V-LEDs.com H4 HID Kit, Nelson Rigg Silver Streak Mini Saddle Bags, Rapid Transit Recon Tank Bag, Various Manufacturers Decals
You start out motorcycling with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
Some people are like slinkies; they're good for nothing but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Posts: 8,815
Casino Cash: $51179
Sportbike: '02 Ninja 250 with More $ in Mods Than I Care to Admit...2008 SSR 90R Mini Motard
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake
I say the fact that the Texans have no offensive line will ensure they go 5-11 for the next 6 or 7 years.
Exactly...which is why even had they taken Vince Young or Reggie Bush, they'd still be a bad team.
Vince Young behind Houston's O-line is a completely different scenario than Vince Young behind Tennessee's O-line.
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In Life, Try To Be The Kind Of Person Your Dog Thinks You Are...
Colts, 49ers, Lions, 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, MSU Spartans, USC Trojans, LSU Tigers
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250--SV-650 rear shock, Sonic Springs .80kg/mm front springs, ZX-2R graphics, flush mount front signals, tail pod rear signals, Kerker 2-1 race pipe, Factory Pro Stage 3 jet kit, UNI pod filters, ZG Double Bubble, Custom Creations soft vinyl seat cover, Kawi Green rim stripes, carbon brake fluid cap, carbon control levers, No Rear Fender, Yamaha R1 Style Mirrors, V-LEDs.com H4 HID Kit, Nelson Rigg Silver Streak Mini Saddle Bags, Rapid Transit Recon Tank Bag, Various Manufacturers Decals
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hornetsnest
So you guys are actually defending picking Williams, but still crying about the O-Line.
Then why didn't they draft D'Brickashaw Ferguson instead of Mario Williams if the O-Line is so terrible?
I'm not defending picking Williams, and I'm certainly not crying about anything that the fucking Texans do...how exactly do you interpret ANY of the posts in this thread as "crying?"
I'm merely suggesting that had they drafted Vince Young, he wouldn't have made as much of an impact as he did in Tennessee...due to the fact that their offensive line is horrible.
And the Texans need EVERYTHING. Drafting Ferguson wouldn't have made them a better team any more than drafting Young, Bush, Leinart, Maroney, etc.
When a team needs everything, they draft what they think will make them stronger all around...and the Texans obviously felt that a defensive lineman was the best choice for them.
Simply put, Vince Young would've been slaughtered had he played for Houston this year...as would Reggie Bush, as would Matt Leinart...
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In Life, Try To Be The Kind Of Person Your Dog Thinks You Are...
Colts, 49ers, Lions, 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, MSU Spartans, USC Trojans, LSU Tigers
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250--SV-650 rear shock, Sonic Springs .80kg/mm front springs, ZX-2R graphics, flush mount front signals, tail pod rear signals, Kerker 2-1 race pipe, Factory Pro Stage 3 jet kit, UNI pod filters, ZG Double Bubble, Custom Creations soft vinyl seat cover, Kawi Green rim stripes, carbon brake fluid cap, carbon control levers, No Rear Fender, Yamaha R1 Style Mirrors, V-LEDs.com H4 HID Kit, Nelson Rigg Silver Streak Mini Saddle Bags, Rapid Transit Recon Tank Bag, Various Manufacturers Decals
I'm not defending picking Williams, and I'm certainly not crying about anything that the fucking Texans do...how exactly do you interpret ANY of the posts in this thread as "crying?"
OMG YOU'RE NOT CRYING...OK I GET IT...
Whatever...It's a word I like to use...I'll try not to "offend" you next time.
The Titans may have their QB of the future in VY, but we are still water in the secondary, we have holes on both lines, especially on the D because I think Fat Albert will be gone in a few months. Oh yeah-- our longtime GM Floyd Reese resigned the other day, so now we need personnel in the front office to right the ship in time to prepare us for a real playoff run next season.
I just wish it were the end of April so I can see who everyone winds up with after the draft.
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R.I.P.
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"Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation" -- Oscar Wilde
Vince Young: AP Offensive Rookie of Year
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