Age: 33 (Oct. 11)
12th season in
pro football, 10th in NFL, and 8th with 49ers
College: Brigham Young
Height: 6’2” Weight: 205
Prelude:
Young played his first two
pro seasons with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL and joined the NFL’s Tampa
Bay Buccaneers, who had picked him in the first round of the 1984 supplemental
draft, for the ’85 season and appeared in five games. Traded to the 49ers
following the 1986 season, he primarily backed up Joe Montana for four years
until taking over as starting QB in 1991, when he led the NFL in passing (101.8
rating) and yards per attempt (9.0). He followed up in ’92 by leading the
league in passing again (107.0 rating) as well as completion percentage (66.7),
yards per attempt (8.6), and TD passes (25) and was a consensus first-team
All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection, also receiving MVP recognition. He passed for
4023 yards in ’93, led the league in passing for the third straight year (101.5
rating) and was again a first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl choice.
1994 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all
16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate
league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts - 461 [10]
Most attempts, game – 44
vs. LA Rams 11/20
Completions – 324 [6]
Most completions, game –
31 at LA Rams 9/18
Yards – 3969 [4]
Most yards, game – 355
at LA Rams 9/18
Completion percentage – 70.3 [1]
Yards per attempt – 8.6 [1]
TD passes – 35 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 4 vs.
LA Raiders 9/5, at Atlanta 10/16, vs. LA Rams
11/20, at New Orleans
Interceptions – 10 [18,
tied with Craig Erickson & John Elway]
Most interceptions, game – 2
at Kansas City 9/11, vs. New
Orleans 9/25, vs. Philadelphia
Passer rating – 112.8 [1]
300-yard passing games – 5
200-yard passing games – 11
Rushing
Attempts – 58
Most attempts, game - 10
(for 23 yds.) vs. LA Rams 11/20
Yards – 293
Most yards, game – 60 yards
(on 8 carries) vs. Dallas
Yards per attempt – 5.1
TDs – 7 [8, tied with seven others]
Scoring
TDs – 7
Points - 42
Postseason:
3 G
Pass attempts – 87
Most pass attempts, game – 36
vs. San Diego
Pass completions – 53
Most pass completions, game –
24 vs. San Diego
Passing yardage – 623
Most passing yards, game – 325
vs. San Diego
TD passes – 9
Most TD passes, game – 6 vs.
San Diego
Interceptions – 0
Rushing attempts – 20
Most rushing attempts, game
– 10 vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
Rushing yards – 128
Most yards, game – 49 vs. San Diego
Average gain rushing – 6.4
Rushing TDs – 2
Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert
Bell Award, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL:
AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC:
UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
49ers went 13-3 to win NFC
West and gain the top playoff seed in the conference while leading the NFL in scoring
(505 points) and touchdowns (66) and placing second in total yards (6060). Won
NFC Divisional playoff over Chicago Bears (44-15), NFC Championship over Dallas
Cowboys (38-28), and Super Bowl over San Diego Chargers (49-26).
Aftermath:
Young played four more full seasons with 49ers before his career ended three games into the 1999 season, after suffering a third concussion in four years. He was selected to the next four consecutive Pro Bowls, for a total of seven altogether, and led the league in passing twice more. Young retired with the highest career passer rating in NFL history (96.8) and second most rushing yards by a quarterback (4239). Along the way, he threw for 33,124 yards and 232 touchdowns in the NFL in addition to 4102 yards and 16 TDs in the USFL where he additionally ran for 883 yards. Young’s #8 was retired by the 49ers and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.
Young played four more full seasons with 49ers before his career ended three games into the 1999 season, after suffering a third concussion in four years. He was selected to the next four consecutive Pro Bowls, for a total of seven altogether, and led the league in passing twice more. Young retired with the highest career passer rating in NFL history (96.8) and second most rushing yards by a quarterback (4239). Along the way, he threw for 33,124 yards and 232 touchdowns in the NFL in addition to 4102 yards and 16 TDs in the USFL where he additionally ran for 883 yards. Young’s #8 was retired by the 49ers and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.
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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL,
AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized
organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell
Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).
[Updated 2/8/14]
[Updated 3/30/14]
[Updated 2/8/14]
[Updated 3/30/14]
I used to think that Steve Young's legacy was to be that of Montana's successor and nothing more, no matter what he did, but the man has solidly earned his own place amongst the NFL's greatest quarterbacks. The key for him was finding a system that maximized his talents, and San Francisco's West Coast offensive scheme fit him perfectly. His mobility made him a threat all through his career, especially after Montana's was diminishing from age and injury. Though he was no Elway or Favre, he did have a better arm than Montana and eventually became one of the most accurate precision passers of all time. And when he got on a hot streak he tended to have a demoralizing effect on opposing defenses, particularly against the Charger defense in his only Super Bowl performance, who looked to have virtually given up any hope of stopping him by the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I still give Montana the top marks in great quarterbacks due to his championships, leadership, and coolness under pressure. But Steve Young kept the 49ers' dynasty status going for almost a decade after Montana was gone, and he too deserves his status as one of the Great Ones.