Any long-time fan of the San Francisco 49ers would certainly know a thing or two about Steve Young. Young spent most of his NFL career playing quarterback for the 49ers. With the NFL team, he won three Super Bowl titles – XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX – and was named Super Bowl MVP for the XXIX game against the San Diego Chargers. Steve Young has set many NFL records, most notably in the Passer rating. When he retired in 1999, Young had the highest passer rating compared to any other quarterback in the league. After the soccer game Young tried his hand at business and acting.
Steve Young Bio
Jon Steven Young was born on 11 October 1961 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and followed in his father’s footsteps to become a football player. His father, LeGrande “Grit” Young, earned considerable playing time in the 1950s at Birmingham Young University, a college named after his own great-great-grandfather Brigham Young, who was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
His athletic side became fully developed during his high school years in Greenwich, Greenwich, Connecticut. Young began playing as a quarterback on the Cardinals soccer team. In his junior year, he was a starter and in his senior year, he was appointed to the CIAC All-State Team. However, football was not Steve Young’s only interest. He was a complete sportsman and also played on the school baseball and basketball team.
When it came time to choose a college, Young had two options: the University of North Carolina and Brigham Young University. He chose the latter and improved quickly to replace the team’s regular quarterback. With Young as QB, BYU set some NCAA records. He was awarded the coveted Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, which honors the NCAA’s best quarterback. He finished second in the polls for the Heisman Trophy.
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With an incredible college statistic of 592 passes for 7,733 yards and 56 touchdowns, Steve Young was assured of a professional career. He began his career with the newly formed United States Football League (USFL) and signed a $40 million 10-year contract with the league’s Los Angeles Express.
Young did not have the chance to prove his skills at USFL, which was dissolved a few years later in 1986. He then joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players. Youg was the first player selected in that draft. A few years later, Steve Youg was transferred to the San Francisco 49ers to serve as a replacement for their franchise player Joe Montana.
Young did well to shine as a substitute as well, and in 1991, after Montana’s injury, Young became the team’s starting QB. He was first named NFL MVP in 1992 and in 1994, when he was also named MVP of the Super Bowl, he became the sixth player in NFL history to accomplish this feat. Young led the 49ers to two Super Bowl wins. Steve Young has left behind a number of records during his playing career, and his legacy will surely live on for generations to come.
In late 1999, the concussion that plagued Young for most of his career forced him to retire. Steve Young holds a Juris Doctor degree from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. He is actively involved in the business community and is the CEO of Huntsman Gay Global Capital. In his spare time, he also devotes himself to charitable causes.
Family, Wife (Barbara Graham)
Steve Young is married to a certain Barbara Graham. They met in 1999 with the help of a mutual friend Tyde Tanner and married on March 14, 2000, Graham joined Young to become a Mormon while they were together. They have four children, including two sons and two daughters.
In his autobiography QB: My Life Behind the Spiral, Young describes the struggles of his love life and how he broke off two engagements before marrying Graham.
Graham is from Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a graduate of the State of Arizona. She is a former model and now works in public relations.
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Steve Young Net Worth
After signing a contract with Express, Young agreed to receive his payments in the form of an annuity to be paid in 40 years. There were rumors that although the USFL and the Express no longer existed, Young would continue to be paid until 2027. However, the LA Times revealed in 1985 that Young was paid $1.4 million for the said pension.
Height And Other Quick Facts
Height: 6 ft 2inch
Weight: 215 lb
Date of birth: October 11, 1961
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Siblings: 2 including Mike and Tom Young
Wife: Barbara Graham (married 2000)
Kids: 4