Commerce City – Forever they will be linked. Vince Young. Jay Cutler. Matt Leinart. All first-round quarterbacks from the 2006 draft, all poised to lead their teams in their second year in the NFL.
If this is a race, Young has the inside position. He took charge at midseason last year and was named NFL offensive rookie of the year. Helping Chatfield High graduate LenDale White at his football clinic at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, Young was asked what clicked.
“It’s my dedication,” he said. “I didn’t want to fail. A lot of people look up to me. My family. Fans. Kids. A lot of people in the world look up to me. Here I am in a whole other state. I didn’t even know they liked me here. But kids know about me and they love me as well, so that’s a good deal.”
If the media and fans monitored the three quarterbacks’ progress, Young would have had to tap into a fantasy league to learn their stats. All the former Texas star knows is he passed for 2,199 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans and became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era (1966 and after) to rush for at least 500 yards.
