Houston – Vince Young doesn’t need a uniform and a number to be recognized.
Flashbulbs pop and camera lights spring to life when he’s in the room. People gather and gawk, whisper and stare. The Texas quarterback never has been at rock bottom any time in his life, but now he has achieved rock star status.
He is a Heisman Trophy candidate, a fleet-footed athlete who can elude the best defender, shred the stingiest defense and leave everyone wanting to see more.
Even his offensive line.
“Sometimes you do get caught up in the moment,” Longhorns tackle Jonathan Scott said. “You’re like, ‘I want sit back and watch this, too.”‘
Young is humble and charismatic and soft-spoken. What’s not to like?
Though Young was flanked by two significant senior leaders Thursday when Texas held its news conference at the Big 12 football media days, coach Mack Brown proclaimed the 2005 Longhorns Young’s.
“This is now Vince Young’s team,” Brown gushed. “That’s exciting for us.”
Texas has title hopes. Big 12 title hopes. National title hopes. Real ones this time.
This is not a shot-in-the-dark deal, hoping to beat Oklahoma and advance, as in years past. These Longhorns fully expect to beat Oklahoma. Publicly, they won’t rock the boat. Privately, they feel they are superior to their Red River rivals, even if it’s just slightly.
But everyone agrees the Longhorns will go only as far as Young takes them.
The junior is 17-2 as a starter, and if he continues to win and returns for a senior season, Young has a shot to be the winningest quarterback in Texas history.
He doesn’t lack the will. Before a voluntary 7-on-7 drill this summer, he wrote on a board in the locker room: “Anyone who wants to beat Ohio State meet me on the field.”
After the Rose Bowl, in which he ran for four touchdowns and threw for another to beat Michigan, he told Brown, “Coach, I’ve got to improve in some areas.”
In reality, though, it’s just one – passing.
For all of his positives, passing is the chink in Young’s armor. He completed 59 percent of his passes in 2004 for 1,849 yards and 12 touchdowns. But he threw 11 interceptions.
Young also felt there were times when the coaching staff held back plays and schemes, thinking he wasn’t able to handle the load. He wants to show Brown otherwise.
“I just want to showcase my abilities to (Brown),” Young said. “When he made me the quarterback at the University of Texas, I want him to trust me a little bit more, respect and understand the kind of game I want to play for him. The same way he doesn’t want to lose, I don’t want to lose.”
And to those who suggest he’s not a true quarterback, Young bristles.
“If they watched the Rose Bowl game, they’ll see that I am a quarterback,” he said. “They can say this, they can say that, but I’ve always said I’m going to be a quarterback for life. If they don’t like it, they’ll have to deal with it.”
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
