ESPN.com: NFL - Young: Scheme can be QB's best friend


I don't think Steve Young gets proper credit for being the kind of quarterback he is. I don't know why but Elway gets all sorts of credit as the benchmark quarterback of his generation just under Montant. I'd judge that generation to include Montana, Marino, Elway, Kelly, and Young as the elite quarterbacks. Elway was spectacular I'll grant that, and managed to win 2 Super Bowls, but that only came at the end of his career and with Terrell Davis there to ride the back of. Steve played at a high level for four years after he won, including his 5 straight 300-yard games in 98. At the very least he should be considered equal to Elway.

The thing about Young, and I suppose Favre, is that they are the two transition quarterbacks it would seem between the old kind of quarter and the new kind. They introduced mobility that hadn't been seen before, and they both had a scrappiness and toughness that put them beyond the traditional prissy quarterback. Elway was victimized by Cal in college and was seen jumping up and down in a hissy fit repeating to himself "but this can't happen to meeeeeee!" You'd never hear that kind of crap out of Young's mouth.

Young earned my undying respect the day he sort of galloped into the end zone with a mighty limp because he was playing with a major groin strain but wanted his team to win anyway. I still have that picture emblazoned in my mind.