| While there’s absolutely no doubt Steve
Young has made the right decision to call it quits after months of agonizing deliberation,
there’s also no denying the NFL’s once-mighty star power has been dealt another
big-time blow. With the news of Young’s retirement still extremely fresh in my
mind, I’m somewhat surprised at the void I’m feeling as I write this column.
After watching the 49ers struggle to get by without Young much of last season, I
didn’t think it would be such a big deal when he finally announced he would be
retiring with his brain cells intact.
I was wrong.
All it took was the roughly two minutes "SportsCenter" devoted to
Young’s most memorable gridiron moments Friday morning to convince me how much he
will be missed.
In the last year, John Elway, Dan Marino and now Young have split the NFL scene. In
their own unique ways, all three have established themselves as NFL legends. While
I’ll never waver in my feeling that Elway was the best of the best, Young certainly
comes close because of his superb athleticism.
With his league-record 43 rushing touchdowns offering indisputable evidence,
there’s no denying the fact Young is the best running quarterback in the history of
the game. And with both Young and Elway scurrying off into the sunset, there appears to be
a definite void in terms of signalcallers whose legs are just as powerful weapons as their
arms.
In his breakout year with the Jaguars, Mark Brunell displayed some genuine
ball-carrying flashes that suggested he might be able to follow in fellow southpaw
Young’s footsteps. But in my mind, Brunell’s star power has been tarnished by a
steady stream of mediocre postseason performances.
Steve McNair has also shown a certain rushing flair, especially in the second half of
Super Bowl XXXIV. But the verdict is still definitely out on the Titans’ quarterback.
Clearly, nobody gives us a rush like Young, who more than a few experts maintain
could have been a Pro Bowl tailback of the highest order if he would have opted for that
position.
Looking beyond sheer running ability, with Young now joining Elway and Marino on the
sidelines, the league really seems to suddenly be lacking in terms of overall QB charisma.
Granted, the Colts’ Peyton Manning certainly seems like the real deal. But show me
a few Super Bowl appearances before he comes remotely close to reaching the caliber of
Elway, Marino or Young. Let’s not forget how long it took Young to become one of the
best quarterbacks the game has known.
Kurt Warner? If he picks up where he left off last year and continues to emerge from
modest beginnings a la Johnny Unitas, I guess you could consider him on a fast track
toward a special kind of superstardom.
As it stands right now, though, with the 21st century upon us, only Green Bay’s
Brett Favre seems to possess the extra-special QB qualities that withstand the test of
time.
With six NFL passing titles, a league-record 97.6 QB rating and the aforementioned
league-record rushing TDs by a quarterback under his belt, Steve Young certainly had those
qualities in abundance.
I already miss him more than I could have imagined. |
