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Steve Young

Steve Young

Born Jon Steven Young in Salt Lake City, Utah he fell along a storied line of Mormon heritage as the great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young. The son of Sherry Young and LeGrande "Grit" Young, his family moved from Utah to Greenwich, Connecticut when Steve was 8 years old. Though he attended Greenwich High School and played football, basketball and baseball there, Young chose to follow in his father's footsteps by attending and playing football at Brigham Young University. Young learned the nuances of the position behind future Chicago Bears QB Jim McMahon. As a senior in 1983, Young set an NCAA record for completion percentage. He received the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and was voted runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, which ultimately went to running back Mike Rozier. Young graduated from BYU in 1984 with a degree in international relations and eventually earned his law degree in 1994 from BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School. Out of college, Young elected to play in the upstart USFL and received a contract worth $40 million to be paid over 40 years. He led the Los Angeles Express for two seasons and was one of the few stars in the fledgling league, along with Herschel Walker. The team's owner filed for bankruptcy during Young's second season; the league folded in 1986 after a failed antitrust suit against the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Young in the 1984 supplemental draft of USFL players and signed him the next year. He struggled during two seasons with the Bucs, and they traded him to the San Francisco 49ers in 1987. He was the backup for four seasons before getting his chance to start in 1991 when Joe Montana suffered an elbow injury. Young seized the opportunity and kept the 49ers as a force in the NFC. Known for his devastating mobility, Young amassed 43 career rushing TDs and 4,239 yards on the ground. He retired in 1999 due to numerous concussions with seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro selections to his credit. Surprisingly, Young appeared as himself on numerous television shows during his career, such as "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000), "Wings" (NBC, 1990-97), and "Dharma & Greg" (1997-2002). He also played a caller seeking psychiatric advice on "Frasier" (NBC, 1993-2004), as well as a former high school quarterback in "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (ABC, 1993-97). Young later had a role in the Mormon film "The Singles Ward" (2002).
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