Vince Young says he's done as an NFL quarterback. (USATSI)
Ever since Vince Young blew up with his relationship with then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher in 2010, he's had a difficult time staying relevant in the NFL. The two-time Pro Bowler who led Tennessee to a 30-17 record as a starting quarterback spent an uninspiring 2011 season as Michael Vick's backup in Philadelphia, and after that, Young spent time in camp with Buffalo, Green Bay and, most recently, Cleveland.
All along, Young, when he was out of work, wondered why he wasn't getting the opportunities he thought he deserved.
Apparently, he's stopped hoping and told KXAN in Austin that he considers himself retired from the NFL.
“It's definitely official I think in my book,” Young said Saturday. “Unless we get a great opportunity, something guaranteed…other than that I've started moving forward in some things.
“I love the NFL, will love the game always but I'm kind of moving forward and moving on right now.”
Now, Young reportedly will go to work for his alma mater, the University of Texas, in some kind of ambassador-type role. He said Saturday he and the school are working through the details of his employment.
“If football doesn't work out for me, (the University of Texas) has a great job for me,” Young said in April. “Just letting you know what (UT) has going on, especially helping kids get scholarships and recognizing things like that. Whatever it is, I just want to support the university.”
But Young admitted the past five years have been difficult, particularly after he and Fisher fractured their relationship when Fisher benched Young and Young walked out on the team after a game in 2010.
“I had my ups and downs. I made the mistake of getting into it with my coach and that kind of hurt me a whole lot. When you go to different teams, they already have a bad perception of you. When that's out there, there's nothing you can do,” Young said.
Young said he hasn't officially filed retirement papers, but it sounds like he doesn't have any more plans to play.
NFL Hot News
Browns RB Terrance West: 'I want to be the starter.' Ben Tate is very confident he will start
I feel like I'm writing about Cleveland a lot lately, which strikes me as odd but so be it.Ben Tate was brought in during the offseason to be the Browns' starting running back, and Tate fully expects that's just what he'll be. He was given $2.5 million guaranteed in his two-year deal -- a nice chunk of change for a back these days -- and with four seasons under his belt, he is one of the most veteran players in the group.But upstart rookie Terrance West isn't going to simply accept a backup role."I want to play. I want to be the starter, and I'm going to practice like a starter," West told the Akron Beacon Journal on Thursday.That sounds like a challenge. Mr. Tate, your response?"I'm not worried about [competition] because I know when I'm on my game mdash; I respect every running back here — but there's no one that can really touch me or that's close to what I do," Tate said. "So honestly, I mean I'm not worried really about that."[The media] may see it like that, but when I know what I'm doing, what I'm supposed to do, there's nobody in that room [of running backs] that scares me. I'm just honest."
Oh, let's get it on!It's funny, because Tate is also quoted in the article as saying that running backs often lose their job when they underestimate their competition, and then he goes on to sound like a man underestimating his competition.West is climbing up fantasy draft boards quickly, although I'm afraid it's getting a little out of control -- I saw someone compare him to Alfred Morris earlier today. Still, he should be drafted as a popular RB4 right now while Tate is more of a low-end RB2. West could definitely make a substantial jump up if he indeed outperforms Tate in training camp. The Browns are going to be a run-heavy team, and Tate has a fairly extensive injury history in his short career. He's already missed some OTAs due to minor nicks.
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