Does Vince Young Deserve The Keys To The Tennessee Titan Car ?

"We're running the ball well enough, I really feel like the passing will improve,"

“Given all that, it hardly seemed necessary to nitpick the struggling passing game.”

“He is such a valuable part of our running game,…”

“… he struggled , with 162 yards passing, 19 rushing yards, and two turnovers that led to  touchdowns.”

We’ve all heard these quotes, time and time again. Some were by his coach, others by the media, but none-the-less referring to the young quarterback of the Titans. The only problem is, those quotes were from his days at Texas.

The signs were there before the Titans drafted the talented Longhorn QB. In his first two years at Texas, he threw as many interceptions as touchdowns.

His slow, side armed delivery was a topic of discussion on Texas radio stations long before it dominated Nashville’s own airwaves. He struggled against pass defenses ranked in the 100’s in college, comprised of athletes slower than some trainers and water boys in the NFL.  

And his inability to establish consistency throwing the ball often timed put Mac Brown in a position to consider starting Chance Mock in certain games.

That being said, Vince rebounded in his Junior, and final, year at Texas to have a statistically impressive passing year. Let it be known that going into his 3rd year as a pro, that junior year at Texas remains his only ‘statistically impressive passing’ year since high school.

That year Vince dazzled on a loaded Texas team to win the National Championship and make everyone forget about the struggles he had moving the ball through the air.

When Vince needed a big play that season, he often got it using his legs. Even Vince knew his own limitations.

Whether it was Bud Adam’s arrogance against his home state of Texas, the Titans apparent love of a mobile quarterback, or a collective front office ‘man crush’ brought on by Vince’s performance in the National Championship game against USC, the Titans chose their franchise quarterback with the number three pick in the 2006 Draft and introduced Vince as the Titans future.

Over two years later, the Titan’s ‘future’ at quarterback has come under fire amidst an armada of questions and speculation concerning whether he has what it takes to be the quarterback of his team. Oddly enough, the majority of concern no longer just deals with his physical play, but rather his mental makeup.

Consider the timeline of his actions outside of his passing ability.

April 2006 - Rumors circulate that Vince’s Wonderlic test scores rank near the bottom in combine history.

Oct 2006 - Vince misses the team plane to Philidelphia. Despite this, he is not disciplined, and allowed to play in the game.

Summer 2006 - Vince would later reveal to NFL.com that he contemplated quitting during this time, despite having won AFC Rookie of the Year honors.

Aug 2007- Vince, taking up for his receivers, punches teammate Donnie Nickey, in the face with his throwing hand while Nickey is still wearing his helmet.

Aug 2007 - Vince violated team rules by staying at home instead of the team hotel during training camp. He would be suspended for one pre-season game.

Sept 2007 - Vince is fined by the NFL for taunting a player in the Colts game. On the play the taunt results in an unsportsmanlike penalty negating his big run and moving the Titans out of field goal range late in a game they would lose by 2.

May 2008 - Pictures surface of Vince and several other young men dancing, all with their shirts off, while partying with bottles of liquor in their hands. Young later apologizes.

Sept 2008 - Young appears to throw a temper tantrum after his second interception in a game, and is unprepared to re-enter the game as the offense comes back on the field until he is “coached” by Jeff Fisher on the sideline, resulting in a confused Kerry Collins warming up for naught.

Sept 2008 - Vince’s family/friends call Jeff Fisher worried about his emotional state and his whereabouts, prompting Fisher to call the police to help “search” for him. Authorities find an unloaded gun in the glove compartment, though no laws were broken.

Sept 2008 - Vince fails to show for a scheduled MRI by the team.

Sept 2008 -       Vince’s mother appeals to the fans and media claiming her son has been “persecuted” and indicates her son may want to walk away from the game.

These are serious concerns for a quarterback who has played less than two full years in the league. What’s more disheartening is that these concerns don’t even start to address his struggles on the field. If, for the sake of argument, he was able to quickly heal physically and mentally, is he still the man the Titans want running the team.

This is no ordinary car he had been handed the keys to. The defense has played exceptionally well, and appears to be of championship caliber.

The offensive line is extremely solid with a mixture of young studs and veteran warriors. The running game is the definition of a 1-2 punch with the power game of Lindell White and the explosiveness of Chris Johnson.

Vince has been told he only has to manage the game, but he has struggled to do that. With the window of being able to win a championship so small in the NFL, can the Titans gamble with a fragile Vince at the helm?

Do they trust him to be the leader they need when he seems to be regressing mentally , emotionally, and at the very best, remaining stagnant from a physical standpoint?

This has been a rough week for Titans radio. It is more reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, with fans more concerned with who wanted who on draft day , and who knew not to draft Vince.

There has been so much “I told you so” from fans, that the whole point of where the Titans go from here gets lost in the shuffle. To paraphrase Rick Pitino, Jay Cutler’s not walking through that door. And Matt Lienert’s not walking though that door.

Instead, the Titans must continue to elvaluate and support their investment, hoping that during the time his MCL heals, his mental makeup is not too far behind.

Vince Young’s mother has said that her son has not been treated well. This is especially confusing since Vince has had his number retired at Texas, been drafted 3rd overall in the league, named Offensive Rookie of the Year, and put on the cover of Madden 09.

Maybe the same love that a mother shows his son is not the love a kid like Vince needs.

Bobby Bowden, head coach of the Florida State Seminoles has said the difference between today’s athletes and yesterday’s is that many of today’s players are being raised by ladies. There isn’t a male influence in their life.

My first real job was at a barbecue joint at age 16. After 10 hours of slopping meat in a 120 degree sauna I went home and told my parents I was quitting. My dad told me otherwise. Seven years later I finally did leave the company.

I don’t ever remember John Elway not wanting to go back into a game. I don’t recall Don Shula having to “coach” Dan Marino to go back in after an ill-advised pass led to an interception (and he threw plenty).

They will literally have to drag Brett Favre off the field with a wench and tow package. It’s in a man’s blood to compete. It’s in a kid’s blood to have fun. Maybe playing football just isn’t fun for Vince.

Challenging an athlete’s competitive drive is a touchy subject. You are basically challenging their manhood. The contenders in this world know they need to get better no matter how talented they are. The pretenders in this world know how talented they are and think they will get better.

Peyton Manning spends more time looking at film than any other player in the NFL according to multiple sources. Why?

He is already considered one of the top 2 quarterbacks in the league, and possibly one of the best to ever play. Actually one reason he is as good as he is can be attributed to the amount of time he does spend in the film room.

Should Vince be spending more time in the film room? Maybe, maybe not. But there are growing concerns within the team that his “I got this" attitude means that the best Vince has to offer may have been that junior year in college.

It is possible that Vince has been given too much too soon, maybe treated too well, despite his mother’s claim. He left college after his junior year for the money, like many before him.

And while some say it was a ‘mature Vince’ that decided to go back to school during the offseason instead of working out with the team, many will argue that this is an example of Vince blowing off his team, or his “I got this” attitude.

I’m in favor of getting an education whenever you can. But he had a free education in front of him, and he turned it down for the money. Two years later the team that gave him the money worked out together while he went back to school.

The NFL is all about second chances. Lately they have been about third, fourth and fifth chances (see RB Ricky Williams, and WR Chris Henry). If Vince is able to heal physically, mentally, and emotionally there will undoubtedly be another chance for him to compete for the keys to the franchise.

The only question is will he want them?

T.W. 09/11/2008