Vince Young Returns
Quarterback who led Texas to national championship returns to alma mater
Former Longhorns star quarterback Vince Young is coming home. In a statement released August 14, University of Texas officials confirmed that Young has been hired to work at the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. His first day on the job is September 1.
Young led the team to the 2005 BCS national championship. In his new role at UT, he will serve as a development officer for alumni relations and will help raise funds for DDCE in support of programs for first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds.
"The position with DDCE is a great way to stay connected to the university and help make a difference in the lives of underserved kids across the state," Young said in a statement.
Young was involved with DDCE programs while he attended the university, including the Neighborhood Longhorns Program. He also completed his bachelor's degree in applied learning and development in 2013.
After leading the Longhorns to glory at the 2006 Rose Bowl, Young was drafted third overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2006 and was named the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year. In later seasons, however, he found himself moving from team to team and was eventually released from the Cleveland Browns in May 2014.
Young also has dealt with severe financial problems and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last January. (He later asked the judge to dismiss the petition after he settled his debts.) Young has been in discussions with university officials about his new position since this spring, and the Austin American-Statesman reports that he will be paid $100,000 annually.
"Vince Young brought a national championship to Texas, returned to the Forty Acres to earn his degree, and will now help other students reach their goals and change the world," said UT President Bill Powers.
Young's former coach, ESPN and ABC analyst Mack Brown, tweeted his own reaction to Young's hire.
I'm excited VY will be back @ work @ Texas!
— Mack Brown (@ESPN_CoachMack) August 14, 2014
