Steve Young
Steve Young had quite a long career in the NFL before becoming a star player, finally becoming a starter in the league at age 30. He spent 2 years playing for a horrible Buccaneers team before he was traded to the 49ers to back up Joe Montana in 1987, but ended up becoming one of the best players ever.
When Joe Montana went down with an elbow injury at the end of the 1990 season, Young took over at the helm of a team that had just narrowly missed a third straight Super Bowl win. He ended up missing 5 games in 1991 due to a knee injury, but he was already the best QB in the league in a down year for passers overall. Unfortunately, the result was a 10-6 record without a playoff berth.
In his second season as a starter for San Francisco, he threw 3465 yards, #2 in the league, while leading the league in completion percentage at 66.7% and touchdowns with 25, while tossing only 7 picks all year. The 49ers finished at 14-2, best in the league, and Young was awarded the MVP, but the season ended with a loss to Dallas in the NFC Championship Game.
He was even better in 1993, increasing his passing yardage to 4023, touchdowns to 29, and completion percentage to 68.0%. The 49ers won the division again, but once again they lost to Dallas in the NFC title game. He had been the best passer in the league for 3 years, but hadn't been able to break through that final barrier.
The next season was the best of his career in many ways. He led the league in touchdowns and completion percentage, both new career highs, led the 49ers to a 13-3 record, and won another MVP award. The playoffs were different this time, with Young leading them past Dallas in the NFC title game to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time as a starter. His performance in the Super Bowl was the best of all time, with 325 yards and 6 touchdowns, which set a Super Bowl record, as the 49ers destroyed the Chargers 49-26. He is the only player in Super Bowl history to lead all players in both passing and rushing yards in the championship game.
Over the next three seasons a series of minor injuries hampered him, causing him to miss several games, but he still led the league in completion percentage each season. All 3 of those seasons ended with losses to Green Bay in the playoffs.
He had a renaissance season in 1998, when he set new career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, once again ranking as the best quarterback in the league, but the season still ended with a playoff loss. He had 2 concussions within the first 3 weeks in 1999, and ended up having to retire as a result.
In addition to being a great passer, Young was one of the best running quarterbacks throughout his career, leading all passers in rushing yards 3 times and coming in second twice. He is currently #3 all-time in rushing yards by a QB, and #2 in rushing touchdowns, and is also the all-time playoff leader in both categories. He led the league in touchdown passes a record 4 times, and completion percentage 5 times. And even though he only reached one Super Bowl as a starter, it was the best performance by a quarterback in the history of the title game. Add it all together, and you have one of the greatest players of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment