Steve Young
Hall of Fame quarterback who set records with the 49ers and BYU.
via Wikipedia: Steve Young · see source
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. A three time Super Bowl champion, Young was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1992 and 1994. He previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who drafted him. Prior to his NFL career, Young played for the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons. He played college football for the BYU Cougars, setting school and NCAA records. In 2001, Young was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Quarterback
- Born
- 11 October 1961
- Birthplace
- Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
- High school
- Greenwich (Greenwich, Connecticut)
- College
- BYU (1980–1983)
- Former teams
- Los Angeles Express (1984–1985)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1985, 1986)
- San Francisco 49ers (1987, 1999)
Lore & Background
Young left the fledgling 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. A quarterback controversy ensued as he spent several seasons backing up starting quarterback Joe Montana. Young 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.
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). His 43 career rushing touchdowns are fourth among quarterbacks, while his 4,239 rushing yards ranks sixth all time.
Did You Know?
- Young was selected by the USFL Los Angeles Express in the first round (11th overall) of the 1984 draft held that January.
- He became the first pro football player ever to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a single game during his rookie season with the Express.
- Young finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1983, behind Nebraska running back Mike Rozier.
- He set an NCAA single-season record with a 71.3% completion percentage in his senior year at BYU.
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