Vince Young

American college football quarterback who led Texas to the 2005 National Championship with a legendary Rose Bowl performance against USC.

Born May 18, 1983, in Houston, Texas, Vincent Paul Young Jr. grew up in a working-class family in the city's East End. He attended Madison High School, where he emerged as a dual-threat quarterback, showcasing the combination of arm strength and mobility that would define his playing style. His high school success earned him recruitment by the University of Texas, where he committed to play for head coach Mack Brown. Young's college career at Texas spanned from 2003 to 2005, during which he transformed the Longhorns into a national powerhouse. As a sophomore in 2004, he helped lead Texas to an 11-1 record and a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan. However, his defining moment came in the 2005 season, when he guided the Longhorns to a perfect 13-0 record. The culmination was the BCS National Championship Game against USC on January 4, 2006, where Young delivered one of college football's most legendary performances. Against the heavily favored Trojans, he threw for 267 yards and rushed for 200 yards, scoring three touchdowns including the game-winner with 19 seconds remaining in a thrilling 41-38 victory. During his three-year Texas career, Young accumulated 6,040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards, totaling 70 touchdowns. He finished as runner-up in the 2005 Heisman Trophy voting behind USC's Reggie Bush, despite leading Texas to the national title. Young earned consensus All-American honors and won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. His 467 total yards in the Rose Bowl remains one of the most dominant individual championship game performances in college football history. The Tennessee Titans selected Young third overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, though his professional career never matched his collegiate heights. Nevertheless, his legacy remains firmly established through that transcendent Rose Bowl performance, which many consider the greatest individual game in college football bowl history and a defining moment in the sport's modern era.

Dual-threat quarterback with exceptional mobility, scrambling ability, and clutch performance in big games

Considered one of the greatest college football quarterbacks and performances in championship game history

• Heisman Trophy runner-up (2005)
• National Championship (2005)
• Davey O'Brien Award
• Consensus All-American