In a head to head match up Sunday we saw exactly why the Texans will always be the Texans. They passed on Vince Young back in April because they had David Carr at quarterback, and Sunday against the Titans he was benched after turning the ball over three more times. The guy that made the Texans’ front office decide they didn’t need Young was riding the pine while the guy that could’ve been their QB and a hometown hero was on the opposite sideline leading the Tennessee Titans to their first back to back wins since 2003.
David Carr had the arm and the numbers coming out of Fresno State, but he’ll never have the intangibles that made Vince a legend at Texas and have already been on display in his brief NFL career. He’s a leader. His attitude us infectious with his teammates. When the game is on the line, he puts the team on his back. And as Houston Chronicle writer Richard Justice puts it, Vince has “it” and Carr certainly doesn’t:
Quarterbacks can’t be evaluated solely by the strength of their arms. They can’t be evaluated by their footwork or intelligence or toughness, either. Quarterbacks must always be measured by some things that can’t be measured. Like their leadership skills. And their will to win.
It’s these intangibles that made Vince Young special. Any NFL team that had bothered to ask the players and coaches at the University of Texas would have understood. Vince Young wasn’t special because he was a great runner and thrower. He is a great runner and thrower, but what made him special were things you’d know about only if you’d coached him or played with him.
Right now Vince is clearly still developing as an NFL player, but he’s out there doing what he does best and that’s win football games. He’s not lighting up the scoreboard with his passing, but he’s making plays and doing a good job not making critical mistakes. He’s only going to get better, and while he’s doing that he’s going to make the players around him better as well. It’s just what he does.
reply to #1
Ray Sauer
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:55 pm
Vince has it all, especially leadership.
The Texans don’t show any sign of leadership (from the owner on down). For the last five years we in Houston have had to listen to their ridiculous action plan–win one more game than last year–and they couldn’t even do that.
I have only one bone to pick with the writer. It is not necessary to coach Vince or play with him to see why he is so special–it sticks out all over him. That’s why I had no fear when there were four minutes left in the 2006 Rose Bowl–you could simply see WIN written all over Vince.
And thanks to Coach Brown and the women in Vince’s family for making him so special.
reply to #2
jen
November 6th, 2006 at 11:08 am
Vince also captured the heart of my then 10 year-old daughter as she watched the entire 2006 Rose Bowl football game – her first from start to finish.
She believes that Vince Young is truly invincible!