Tweet
Point taken: Vince Young beat down some critics Wednesday.
Vince Young threw sideline passes, deep routes and across the middle. Some were touch passes, others he fired as hard as he could.
Almost all were on target.
The former Texas quarterback worked out for 30 minutes Wednesday in front of more than 100 NFL scouts, coaches and executives who are paying close attention to the quirky throwing motion that still raises questions despite delivering a national championship.
"Very impressed," said new Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak, whose team owns the No. 1 pick. "The kid put on a show."
It was a long time coming.
Young declared for the draft four days after leading Texas to a Rose Bowl victory over Southern California. Since then, he has cashed in on paid autograph sessions, been the guest of honor at a Houston parade and fought back rumors and reports that he bombed an intelligence test at the NFL combine, where he didn't take part in any drills.
What he hadn't done was work out for the teams thinking about investing millions of dollars in him.
"You hear so much 'Vince not working out, Vince not doing this,"' Young said. "I wanted to go out here and show them I had been working. That was the biggest key. I feel like I did a good job."
Texas officials said Washington was the only team not to have someone watching the workout.
One owner, the Texans' Bob McNair, introduced himself to Young before the throwing session. Young is from Houston and has said he'd like to play for his hometown fans.
"I think he had a good workout," McNair said.
The Texans, who were 2-14 last season, are expected to lean toward drafting USC tailback and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush after extending quarterback David Carr's contract for three years.
McNair said he hopes to attend Bush's workout early next month. But he also indicated the Texans haven't decided who to draft or whether to keep or trade the pick.
As a quarterback who can run or throw, Young is the most intriguing player in the draft, scheduled for April 29-30 in New York. He may also be the most scrutinized as teams try to decide whether his Rose Bowl performance of 467 total yards and three rushing touchdowns will translate into the NFL.
"It's a very valuable pick," McNair said. "We all want to make a good decision."
During the season, Young often wore his iPod digital music player during pregame warmups. There was no music Wednesday, but Young kept things loose by clapping his hands and chatting with family members who watched.
"Hi grandma!" he shouted after one pass.
"I was enjoying it," Young said. "I'm at home. I'm always relaxed."
According to NFL.com, Young measured 6-foot-4 5/8 and 228 pounds. He ran one 40-yard dash, timing 4.57 seconds, although Young said he was told he timed between 4.4 and 4.5.
Although Young wasn't scheduled to run Wednesday, he said he wanted to after watching some of his teammates do it.
"They wanted to see me run, so I ran," he said.
The change of heart impressed Kubiak.
"He's very competitive and got in an environment where everybody wanted to see him operate," Kubiak said. "He did a great job."
Young spent most of the last two seasons operating out of the shotgun. Wednesday's drills had him taking simulated snaps under center and working with five- and seven-step drops in the pocket.
"I showed them everything they wanted to see," Young said, adding he'll do individual workouts for teams that ask.
Gil Brandt, longtime Dallas Cowboys personnel director and current NFL.com draft analyst, said Young performed well in front of the crowd.
"I think he really helped himself today," Brandt said. "He threw the ball well, a quick delivery. I think he did everything he was asked to do."
Source: AP
Comment