Steve Young

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Lore & Background

Young left the USFL after the 1985 season to join the Buccaneers. Two seasons of underwhelming play led Tampa Bay to trade him to the 49ers in 1987. He became the 49ers' full-time starting quarterback in 1991. He was named the AP's NFL Most Valuable Player in 1992 and 1994, and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX where he led the 49ers to a victory over the San Diego Chargers with a record six touchdown passes. During his 1994 MVP campaign, Young set a new NFL record for passer rating at 112.8. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

On November 20, 2021, against Arkansas, Young threw for 559 yards to break the Alabama school record for passing yards in a game. He had five touchdowns in the 42–35 win. The previous record was held by Scott Hunter. Young won the Heisman Trophy following the end of the 2021 season, becoming the first Alabama quarterback to win the award. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, Young won AP Player of the Year, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Manning Award, the Maxwell Award, Southeastern Conference (SEC) Offensive Player of the Year, and was a consensus All-American. Overall, Young passed for 4,872 yards, 47 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with three rushing touchdowns in 15 games. He led the SEC in passing yards and passing touchdowns in the 2021 season. In his junior year, Young led the Crimson Tide to an 11–2 record, including a 45–20 victory over No. 14 Kansas State in the 2022 Sugar Bowl. He finished in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. He passed for 3,328 yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions to go along with 49 carries for 185 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 12 games. On January 2, 2023, Young announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2023 NFL draft.

Reader's Guide

Young was an extremely efficient passer, leading the league in passer rating a record six times and completion percentage and yards per attempt five times. At the time of his retirement, Young had the highest passer rating among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempts (96.8). As of 2025, he was ranked fourteenth all time in passer rating, and was ranked fourth-highest amongst retired players, behind only Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Tony Romo. Young's 43 career rushing touchdowns are fourth among quarterbacks, while his 4,239 rushing yards ranks sixth all time.

Did You Know?

• Young was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• He attended Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut.
• In his senior season at BYU, Young led the nation in passing yards (3,902), passing touchdowns (33), and set an NCAA single-season record with a 71.3% completion percentage.
• Young was selected by the USFL Los Angeles Express in the first round (11th overall) of the 1984 draft.
• He signed a 10-year, $40 million contract with the Express, an all-sports record at the time.

Franchise Origins and Expansion

The Carolina Panthers emerged from a visionary bid by Jerry Richardson, a North Carolina native who transitioned from professional football to becoming a successful restaurant magnate before seeking an NFL franchise. Inspired by the success of the Charlotte Hornets in basketball, Richardson founded Richardson Sports to represent both North and South Carolina. They made history immediately by selecting quarterback Kerry Collins as their first-ever draft pick and finishing their inaugural season with a 7–9 record, the best performance ever for an expansion team in its first year.

Early Competitive Success and Turbulence

Following a promising start, the Panthers achieved remarkable success in their second season under head coach Dom Capers. They posted a 12–4 record to win the NFC West division, securing a first-round playoff bye. Their momentum carried them past the defending Super Bowl champions, the Dallas Cowboys, before they fell to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. George Seifert was hired as his replacement but struggled immensely, culminating in a disastrous 2001 season where the team went 1–15. This performance tied the NFL record for most losses in a single season and broke the record for consecutive losses at that time. Despite these struggles, the era produced a major asset: the drafting of future franchise wide receiver Steve Smith in the third round of the 2001 draft.

The John Fox Era and Super Bowl Run

With the second overall pick that year, they selected Hall of Fame defensive end Julius Peppers from North Carolina. Head coach John Fox was hired to revitalize the squad, leading them to a Super Bowl appearance just one season later. The Panthers finished 11–5 and won the NFC South, embarking on a dominant playoff run where they defeated the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles to reach Super Bowl XXXVIII. Although they ultimately lost a thrilling contest to the New England Patriots with a score of 32–29, this period marked the franchise's first major championship-level achievement.

Ownership Transition and Modern Resurgence

An independent investigation conducted by the NFL substantiated these claims, resulting in a $2.75 million fine against Richardson before the franchise was sold to David Tepper in July 2018. Under new ownership, the Panthers continued to compete at a high level, notably finishing the 2015 season with a 15–1 record and reaching Super Bowl 50, though they lost that game as well. After several years without playoff appearances, the team returned to postseason contention in 2025. Despite holding an 8–9 regular-season record, they secured the NFC South division title and advanced to the Wild Card Round, where they narrowly fell to the Los Angeles Rams in a 34–31 defeat.