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Vince Young's life has been one of extreme highs and lows. Young led the Texas Longhorns to the 2005 National Championship and was NFL Rookie of the Year. But tragedy, injuries and personal demons turned his NFL career into unfulfilled potential. Now, his incredible life story will be the topic of a new documentary by Netflix.
Untold is a sports-documentary series on Netflix from brothers Chapman Way and Maclain Way. Some of their work includes The Battered Bastards of Baseball, The Death & Life of Lamar Odom and Wild Wild Country. The series returns on Aug. 25 with three more installments. The first is called, The Testimony of Vince Young, directed by John Henion.
“After delivering one of the greatest performances in Rose Bowl history, Texas Longhorns legend Vince Young was the NFL’s next big thing, and for a while, he was. But a career riddled by injuries, conflict and sudden loss tells a far more complicated story than the highlight reels ever showed.” - Netflix synopsis
VY's life has been like a movie. Young grew up in the 4th Ward and Hiram Clarke neighborhoods in Houston. He was primarily raised by his mother and grandmother. His father, Vincent Young Sr., missed much of Vince's career due to a 2003 burglary conviction and prison sentence.
When Vince was seven, he was hit by a vehicle while riding his bike in his Houston neighborhood. The accident nearly killed him, leaving him hospitalized for months after the bicycle's handle bar tore into his stomach. He still has a large scar.
Vince was mentored by then Houston Oilers quarterback Steve McNair, who filled a father-figure role for Young in the absence of YV's father. McNair was reportedly tough on Young and is credited with helping him be accountable to his teammates, coaches and family.
Young was one of the greatest recruits in the history of the state of Texas. Vince Young was the No. 1 recruit in the nation in 2002 and the only dual-threat quarterback in history with a perfect composite recruiting rating.
At Texas, VY redshirted his freshman year. As a redshirt freshman, he took over the starting quarterback role from Chance Mock during the annual Texas-Oklahoma game in Dallas. Texas lost the Red River Shootout, but won the rest of the regular season games behind Young under Center.
Young and the Horns suffered a 28-20 loss to Washington State in the Holiday Bowl, a game in which Young looked lost and ineffective.
In his redshirt sophomore season, Young and the Horns burst out of the gate 4-0 to set up another much-hyped clash with OU. Texas lost the game 12-0 in what may have been VY's worst game in a Longhorns uniform.
Then Longhorns coach Mack Brown, offensive coordinator Greg Davis and Young worked on simplifying the offense, running mostly just plays Vince felt comfortable with. VY struggled in a tight win over Missouri. But in the next game against Texas Tech, something clicked and Young became the legend we all know. Texas never lost again with VY at quarterback.
Vince led Texas to its first ever appearance in the Rose Bowl, where the Longhorns beat Michigan 38-37 in an epic back and forth game highlighted by four electric rushing touchdowns by Young.
The next season, the redshirt junior led UT to an undefeated record and a spot in the national title game against juggernaut USC. The result was history, as Young led Texas to a comeback win in what is widely regarded as the greatest college football game ever played.
Young went from adoration in Austin to the cold reality of the NFL. During the pre-draft process, it was leaked that he got a 6 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test, a standardized assessment designed to test a players ability to learn an NFL playbook. It's kind of like a condensed SAT test. While the NFL announced the reported score was inaccurate, the story lives on to this day.
Young was drafted third overall by the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) on the insistence of team owner Bud Adams. Head coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Norm Chow preferred USC QB Matt Leinart.
The Longhorns legend set a then rookie record for rushing yards as a rookie with 552 and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and named to the NFL Pro Bowl.
Fisher benched Young at the start of the preseason the next year for breaking undisclosed team rules. Young later admitted he left the team hotel the night before in order to sleep at his home without informing Fisher. Young went on to pass for 2,459 yards with 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions with 395 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns his second season. He also led the Titans to the playoffs.
Young hurt his knee in the first game of his third NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. VY missed three weeks, but Jeff Fisher decided to start Kerry Collins the rest of the year, making Young the backup. Trouble between the two was definitely brewing.
At the start of the 2009 offseason, Fisher announced Kerry Collins would remain the Titans' starting QB and if Young wanted to return to the starting role, he would have to "earn his job back." After a disappointing 0–6 start to the season, Adams implored Fisher to start Young. Fisher reluctantly agreed.
"I'm still in Kerry Collins' corner because I don't believe that our record is a reflection of the quarterback play", Fisher said. "It's a reflection of the team play. I'm still in his corner, but we've decided to go ahead and make this change."
Young won eight of his ten starts, as the Titans became the first team in NFL history to win five straight after losing their first six games.
In the offseason, tragedy struck Young's inner circle. His longtime mentor Steve McNair was shot and killed on July 4, 2009 by a 20-year-old woman named Sahel "Jenni" Kazemi in a downtown Nashville. Kazemi, who also shot herself, was reportedly McNair's mistress.
Young was really never the same.
After starting the next season 4–5, Young tore a flexor tendon in his right thumb. Though Young said he was good to go, Fisher kept VY on the sideline. After the game, Young threw his shoulder pads into the crowd and had an altercation with Fisher in the locker room, and stormed out. Young was taken off the active roster and cut in the offseason.
Vince signed with Philadelphia and declared the Eagles would become the "Dream Team" of the NFL. But Young would only start three games for Philly before getting benched. He never started another NFL game.
VY was signed by the Buffalo Bills, but cut before the season began. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and subsequently cut 25 days later. Finally, Young signed with the Cleveland Browns, but was cut after 11 days.
Young then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. After injuring his hamstring in training camp, VY was cut. He never played football again.
After the NFL, Young was hired in 2014 by the University of Texas to work for its Division of Diversity and Community Engagement as a development officer for program alumni relations and raising money for programs that assist first-generation and low-income college students. He was fired five years later due to poor performances and absences.
Young's financial problems have become well-known, having spent all of the $34 million dollars he earned in the NFL. Young would sue his former agent, Major Adams, and North Carolina financial planner, Ronnie Peoples, alleging misappropriation of $5.5 million of funds.
In January 2014, Young filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Houston. But on January 30, Young petitioned the court to dismiss the bankruptcy filing due to a settlement with Adams and Peoples, and a resulting settlement with Pro Player Funding.
In 2016, Young was arrested for DWI in Austin, Texas. He pleaded no contest, was fined $300, and ordered to undergo 60 hours of community service. In 2019, Young was arrested for DWI in Fort Bend County, Texas. The charges were later after he completed a diversion program.
But since his 2019 arrest, VY has enjoyed some success. He was rehired in 2021 by UT athletic director Chris Del Conte as special assistant in the athletic department. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian regularly involves Young in the program.
Last season, Young began hosting a podcast with Mack Brown called The Stampede.
Vince Young's life has been one of huge peaks and low valleys. It should be a facinating documentary.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Netflix to premier documentary about legendary Texas QB Vince Young
