#58
STEVE YOUNG
Steve Young has his name all over the NFL record book. He led the league in passing six times in his career, matching Sammy Baugh for the most times accomplishing that feat in NFL history. Young led the league four straight times, and no other quarterback has done it more than three consecutive times. His average of 8.0 yards per pass attempt ranks fifth all-time and he is the all-time career leader in passer rating, ahead of Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and, yes, Joe Montana.
The achievements and records are numerous but for everything he accomplished, Young was often treated as if he had shown up to the party uninvited.
Young was not an ogre nor did he have a Barry Bonds-like personality. He was cordial and helpful to the media and just as warm to his teammates, coaches and fans. But he did have one fault: He was not Montana.
Young came of age in the 1992 season. He completed 268 of 402 passes for 3,465 yards and 25 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He also ran for 537 yards and four touchdowns. Despite his sensational numbers, Young could not win over the San Francisco 49ers fans, who were still enamored by the legend of Joe Montana. Young certainly understood the fans’ passion and love for Montana. Any quarterback who leads his team to four Super Bowl titles has earned the loyalty that came his way. But sometimes that loyalty was marked by disdain for Young, and it was tough for the quarterback to endure.
“It’s not like I ever thought I could just slide in here without anybody noticing,” Young said. “Joe did so much with this team and it was natural for people to love him and want to see him under center. But when I started it became my job.”
Young became a better quarterback in 1992 because of his confidence, maturity, and ability. But he also benefited from the coaching of Mike Shanahan, who was in his first season as offensive coordinator of the team.
Shanahan would of course go on to greater heights, winning two Super Bowls as head coach of the Denver Broncos. But when he got to San Francisco and had a chance to shape Young’s career, he was the perfect man for the job. Shanahan knew that Young was a virtuoso talent and that the only thing he would have to do with him was make a few minor adjustments. One of those was to change his thought process when he decided to break the pocket.
Once Young had decided to run, he became a running back, using his speed and moves to elude or run by tacklers. Shanahan wanted him to remain a quarterback. “Just keep your eyes open as you approach the line of scrimmage,” Shanahan told his quarterback. “Somebody may break loose and the big play may be there.”
Young knew that, but hearing it from his coach slammed the message home. He no longer led with his legs or his arm. He led with his head and became one of the best quarterbacks in the game’s history.
Going into the 1994 season, Young had played as well as any quarterback in the game but he had not won a Super Bowl. He knew that winning the title would decide his legacy, both in the minds of the fans as well as in his own.
“Whether you like it or not, one of the primary ways you are measured is through your titles,” said Young. “Especially for a quarterback, and especially when you play for this team.”
The 1994 Niners would prove to be one of the best offensive teams in NFL history, but it was in early-season losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles that the Niners came of age. In both games, Young was battered brutally by the opposing defenses but he never looked for the easy way out. The loss to the Chiefs—quarterbacked by an ancient Montana—had to be particularly galling but it was in the 40–8 home loss to the Eagles that Young showed his mettle.
It was clearly Philadelphia’s day and they were treating Young with a sense of brutality as defensive end Reggie White had basically taken up residence in the 49ers backfield. He punished Young every time he got his hands on him. As the game got out of hand, head coach George Seifert was left with no choice but to replace him with Elvis Grbac.
The only problem was that Seifert didn’t clear the substitution with his quarterback. Despite the physical abuse, Young had never even considered coming out of the game. He was not shy about letting Seifert know that he was displeased on the sidelines. He gave his coach an earful of his displeasure on the sidelines and that was the final bit of evidence needed to convince the Montana loyalists on the team that Young was a great leader. Not only did Young want to stay in the game, he also stood up for himself because he knew the move would be interpreted that the big loss was his fault.
“It was a very key moment,” said Niners offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu. “Nobody could have blamed Steve if he had wanted to come out of the game. But to go off the way he did when the coach made the decision to take him out showed everybody how much he wanted it. He was a great quarterback who had the kind of desire and [work] ethic that matched his talent. That’s awfully tough to beat.”
The 1994 Niners would reel off 10 straight wins and wouldn’t lose again until they dropped a meaningless Week 17 game in Minnesota. By that time, the Niners had won the NFC West and secured home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
After a perfunctory 44–14 demolition of the Chicago Bears in the divisional playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys were unable to compete with the Niners. Deion Sanders gave the 49ers a much-needed boost against Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin and Young and Jerry Rice led the Niners to a 38-28 win that really was not as close as the final score would indicate.
That game was more of a test than the Super Bowl was. The San Diego Chargers had enjoyed a nice run to get to Miami and represent the AFC, but there was no way the Chargers had the firepower to hang in with the Niners.
The execution of the game plan was just as brutal as many of the observers had anticipated. Young threw touchdown passes to Rice and Ricky Watters early in the first quarter and the Niners rolled. Young was brilliant, completing 24 of 36 passes for 325 yard and set a Super Bowl record with six touchdown passes, three of them to Rice. But it wasn’t just Young’s passing that got the job done. He also gained 49 rushing yards and made plays with his feet whenever the overmatched Chargers thought they might be able to hem him in.
After the game, Young earned the Super Bowl MVP trophy for his spectacular performance. Elated with the win, Young had teammate Harris Barton help him remove an imaginary monkey from his back. The title that he needed to confirm his greatness had been well-earned and he was not going to let the moment pass without a ceremony.
Montana would always be a legendary Bay Area hero but that game gave Young the same status. He no longer had to prove anything to the doubters because his own championship team had been dramatic and impressive. Young had overcome Montana’s great shadow and now had his own legion of fans to help him celebrate his great moment.
| CAREER LEADERS IN PASSER RATING (THROUGH 2013 NFL SEASON) | |
| Player | Rating |
| 1. Aaron Rodgers | 104.9 |
| 2. Peyton Manning | 97.2 |
| 3. Steve Young | 96.8 |
| 4. Philip Rivers | 96.0 |
| 5. Tony Romo | 95.8 |
| 6. Tom Brady | 95.7 |
| 7. Drew Brees | 95.3 |
| 8. Kurt Warner | 93.7 |
| 9. Ben Roethlisberger | 93.6 |
| 10. Joe Montana | 92.3 |
| 11. Matt Ryan | 90.6 |
| 12. Chad Pennington | 90.1 |
| 13. Matt Schaub | 89.8 |
| 14. Daunte Culpepper | 87.8 |
| 15. Jeff Garcia | 87.5 |