Vince Young is set to continue his football playing career north of the border, and the former Texas Longhorns star is ecstatic about it.
Young, who has agreed to a one-year contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders that includes a team option for a second season, told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that he is thrilled to be able to get back to playing.
“I still definitely love the game,” Young said. “I miss it a whole lot. The retirement deal, it happened. I didn’t officially say I was retired. I got away from the game to clean up a bunch of stuff off the field. All that came to light and I’m doing really good.
“The Roughriders coach, Chris Jones, gave me a call and wanted to give me an opportunity. I thought it was a great chance for me to finish my career how I want to finish it. I reached out to Leigh. He’s an incredible guy. He understands the second-chance story and we got this thing done. I’m so excited to play the game again. Everything is going full circle.”
Young has been working at the University of Texas and gotten involved with some investment opportunities, but he also pleaded no contest after being arrested for driving while intoxicated in January 2016. He was fined $300 and completed 60 hours of community service, and he insists he has learned from his mistakes.
I’ve got a family now, I’ve got kids,” Young said. “I wish I knew back then what I know now. I was a little immature about things, but things happen for a reason. You learn from your mistakes. I’m happy and I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”
Young has not played in an NFL regular season game since 2011. He was even trolled by a video game company recently over his comeback attempt, so he should have plenty of motivation to silence his critics. He will compete with 37-year-old Kevin Glenn for the starting quarterback job with the Roughriders.
