Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 2003-05
Place of Birth: Houston, Texas
Date of Birth: May 18, 1983
Jersey Number: 10
Height: 6-5
Weight: 233
High School: James Madison HS (Houston, TX)
One of the most exciting players the game has ever seen, Vince Young turned in one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history in 2005 while memorably leading Texas to a national championship. He becomes the 19th Longhorn player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American in 2005, Young was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy while claiming the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell awards. That season, the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 selection led the Longhorns to a conference title and a perfect 13-0 season after winning the BCS National Championship Game against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Regarded as one of the greatest games in college football history, Young earned MVP honors after completing 30-of-40 passes for 267 yards, rushing for 200 yards (a Rose Bowl record among quarterbacks) and delivering the game-winning eight-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 19 seconds remaining. The win capped a remarkable season that saw the team captain become the first player in FBS history with more than 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single-season. The winner of the 2005 Manning Award and ABC Sports Player of the Year, Young also led the Big 12 in passing efficiency (163.9), and he became the first player in FBS history to rush for more than 250 yards and throw for more than 230 yards in a single game (vs. Oklahoma State).
Boasting a 30-2 record as a starter for College Football Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown, Young’s 93.8 winning percentage was the sixth best in FBS history at the time. The Houston native owns multiple Longhorn records, including single-season (1,079) and career (3,127) rushing yards by a quarterback and career (37) rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. With 6,040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards in his career (both marks rank sixth in Texas history), Young became just the fourth player in FBS history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a career. The 2003 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year guided the Longhorns to two other bowl games, claiming MVP honors after a win over Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl that secured a No. 5 ranking in the final polls. Young holds the top three single-game rushing performances by a quarterback in school history, and he set Texas records for total offense in a career (9,167), single season (4,086 in 2005) and single game (506 vs. Oklahoma State, 2005), which all currently rank second. A member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor, his No. 10 jersey is one of only six retired by Texas, and he is enshrined in the Rose Bowl, State of Texas Sports and Texas High School Football halls of fame.
The Tennessee Titans selected Young with the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he played six seasons in the league with the Titans (2006-10) and Philadelphia Eagles (2011). The 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was selected to two Pro Bowls, becoming the first rookie quarterback to play in the game.
Wanting to give back to the community, he established the Vince Young Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for underprivileged children through academic and athletic excellence. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2018 to raise funds for sustainable water wells in East Africa. In 2013, Young earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas, and he now works as a development officer in the university’s Department of Diversity and Community Engagement.
