Texas fires Vince Young from part-time job
Texas legend Vince Young has been fired by his own alma mater.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Young, the quarterback who led the Longhorns to a national championship in 2005, has been let go from his part-time gig as a development officer and football camp specialist.
The reasons? Poor performance and frequent absences.
Young did not demonstrate “significant and sustained improvement in the performance of job responsibilities” and failed “to maintain standards of conduct suitable and acceptable to the university,” according to a March 1 firing letter obtained by the AP.
A UT spokesperson confirmed Young’s firing to the Austin American-Statesman. The paper says Young was earning $50,000 annually from the school.
Young was arrested for DWI last month
Young’s firing comes a month after he was arrested for DWI, his second drunk driving arrest in the last three years. The most recent arrest occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 4 outside Houston.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Fort Bend County (Texas) police observed Young’s vehicle at an intersection with its hazard lights on. After approaching Young’s vehicle, an officer noticed “slurred speech and a strong smell of alcoholic beverage.”
Young told the Chronicle Feb. 9 that he intends to “fight the case.”
“It’s just an allegation,” he said. “I’m not guilty.”
Young is a Texas football legend
At Texas, Young emerged as the starting QB midway through his redshirt freshman season and kept that role as a sophomore in 2004 and a junior in 2005. In 2004, he led Texas to an 11-1 record and a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan. He followed that up with a perfect season in 2005, capped off with a legendary performance in the BCS title game victory over USC.
Young was inducted into the College Hall of Fame for his efforts.
After his standout career with the Longhorns, Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He quickly became the starting quarterback and won the Rookie of the Year award that season.
Young played for the Titans until 2010, twice earning Pro Bowl honors. Young signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2011 season and had brief stints with the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns before retiring.
Young threw for 8,964 yards and 46 touchdowns in his NFL career.
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