'I still have fire': Vince Young excited to restart his career with Roughriders
Former NFL pivot, 33, hoping to resurrect career in CFL
Vince Young is the newest member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The 33-year-old former NFL quarterback, who last played in a regular season game in 2011 for the Philadelphia Eagles, was introduced at a Thursday morning news conference at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
"I still have fire for playing the game of football. I'm just happy … that I get the opportunity to play again," Young said.
Young said he hit it off with Roughriders head coach Chris Jones and has had a chance to study the playbook over the past few weeks.
Young, who stands 6-5 and is listed at 232 pounds, said his name won't help him on the field.
"You can't just go out there because of your name. You can get hit in your mouth because of your name."
Young thanked his wife, Candice, and also gave thanks for the support he received that allowed him to come to Regina.
"I'm just happy that I get this full circle to come back around. Most players don't, but I'm going to take full advantage of it."
Jones likes Young's arm, experience and intangibles
Jones would not anoint Young as the team's starting QB. He said it will be a competition, and that Young's win-loss record of 31-17 was a major factor in bringing him in.
"He certainly can make all the throws but I think it's much more than just his physical tools," Jones said, highlighting Young's four national championships.
As for Young's current skills and shape, Jones said the team watched him workout recently and were pleased with what they saw.
"We went down, tried him out the other day and he threw the ball outstanding. I came out of there with a big smile on my face."
The Roughriders put the former University of Texas star on their negotiation list. Shortly after, Young's new agent, Leigh Steinberg, announced his client was hoping to make a comeback.
On Wednesday, Steinberg tweeted that he was headed to Saskatchewan to finalize a contract with the Roughriders.
College star
Young, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, led the Texas Longhorns to the 2005 NCAA National Championship.
He was the MVP of Rose Bowl, running for the winning touchdown with 19 seconds left to defeat the University of Southern California Trojans 41-38.
Young finished second that year in voting for the Heisman Trophy, the award for college football's best player.
NFL career
Following his Rose Bowl heroics, Young declared for the NFL draft. He was selected third overall by the Tennessee Titans and would go on to win NFL offensive rookie of the year.
Young signed with the Eagles for the 2011 season, playing in only six games, and would be cut by three different teams over the next three years without playing a regular season game.
Young announced his retirement in 2014.
Replacing Durant
Young will be the favourite to replace Darian Durant, who was traded to Montreal Alouettes in January.
The Roughriders signed Kevin Glenn 10 days after Durant was traded. Glenn has the most CFL experience of any quarterback on the Riders roster.
He will be 38 when the season starts.
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