Demonstrating there is nothing wrong with his head battered by concussions, Steve Young retired from football Monday, orchestrating his exit in a way predecessor Joe Montana was unable to do.
“For the record I know I can still play,” Young said, echoing the battle cry of every aging athlete.
Young, 38, knew he could not control the risk involved with continuing head injuries, so he chose to control his final day the way few NFL players can.
His wife of three months, Barbara, said they did not discuss concussions while making the decision. Young had received medical clearance to continue, although not from the 49ers or friends. He admitted that while the fire to compete still burned it was “not enough given the stakes to go back out.”
So with head held high, Young quit as a 49ers, sparing the organization the embarrassment of either releasing him or seeing him finish in another uniform. When Young sought permission to consult with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, now coach of the Denver Broncos, 49ers General Manager Bill Walsh announced Young was seeking employment rather than advice. The misunderstanding upset Young, but didn’t ruin Monday’s party.
“I yelled at Bill. We yelled,” Young said.
Young requested Monday’s announcement be made inside the 49ers’ locker room rather than in the usual news conference venue. He invited several teammates to speak, including receiver Jerry Rice, who recited a poem he composed for the occasion.
“This is the most intimate place for a player,” Young said. “This is where football happens away from the crowd. I wanted to show up for work one more day.”
Young’s last game appearance came Sept. 27 in Arizona, when a hit by Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams left Young unconscious and in a fetal position. It was his eighth known concussion and fifth in the last four years. With the handwriting on the wall, Young nevertheless explored all options and passed neurological tests showing he was normal. But his logical attorney’s mind told him there were other challenges.
“On my gravestone I want it to say I did `this, this and this, and he played some football,'” Young said.
Rumored as a replacement for the fired Boomer Esiason beside Al Michaels in the “Monday Night Football” TV announcer’s booth, Young was not inclined to tip his hand on future plans. He is involved in a venture capital firm to raise money for non-profit organizations.
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue called Young “the personification of what an NFL player should be” on and off the field.
Former teammate Brent Jones said Young was unique because he followed Montana’s stellar career with a Hall of Fame career of his own–“the single greatest accomplishment in sports.”
Young not only had to live up to Montana’s legacy, he had to meet the high standards of a management team spoiled by success. But Young proved up to the task.
“I loved the expectation that every year we were going to the Super Bowl,” he said.
49ers coach Steve Mariucci said: “We love everything about you, what you’ve done and who you are.”
The 49ers are expected to sign ex-Bear Rick Mirer as a veteran backup to starter Jeff Garcia. Two rookies–Hofstra’s Giovanni Carmazzi and Louisiana Tech’s Tim Rattay–also are on the roster.
“I leave the game having played my best football,” Young said. “It just kind of settled on me that this was the right thing to do. And so I do it with a great deal of joy.”
