Vince Young spoke to the media for the first time since rumors spread that he was thinking about retiring because the pressures of playing in the NFL were getting to him. Young confirmed his commitment to playing football and claims he was never depressed despite appearing shaken up by Titans’ fans booing him in Tennessee’s win over Jacksonville last Sunday.
“I was never depressed,” Young said.
He took questions from reporters for 16 minutes after watching his teammates practice. His message? Don’t question his commitment.
“Football, this is my life. This is my dream. All I did all these years growing up to get to this point and never had an injury like this before in my life,” he said.
“It’s a hard time because I’m a competitor, and I definitely want to be out on the football field with my teammates,” he said.Questions about his mental state and attitude started Sunday when Young was booed heavily by fans upset at his second interception, and he appeared as if he didn’t want to return to the game. Fisher pulled his headset off and talked to him before the quarterback joined the rest of the offense.
“Let the cloud go away for a minute, and that’s what I did. I left. My mom seen me; she thought I wasn’t in my right mind. At the same time, I was watching the game, watching Aaron Rodgers do his things … eating some hot wings,” Young said.
The quarterback said he didn’t realize he had to tell his mother where he was going.
“Even though you’re paying your own bills at your own house, you still got to tell your mama where you are going now. So I understand where my mama’s coming from. She wanted to know where I’m going because I didn’t take my cell phone because so many people were calling me and making sure I’m all right,” he said.
Hopefully this was all a misunderstanding and Young’s mental state is okay. He’s a good player and he’s great for the NFL. Hopefully he can take the next few weeks off, rest his injury and get back on the field 100%. Kerry Collins will start Sunday against the Bengals.
