Steve Young was a great quarterback, one-fourth as great as Joe Montana, according to the five Super Bowl trophies they won between them. Because Young wore No. 8 and Montana No. 16, some critics figured he was only half the player.
That’s how they do the math in San Francisco, where numbers have a special role, from the 49ers nickname to the winningest team of the `80s and `90s.
Young outpassed Montana but never was able to pass him up. Young retired Monday as the second-best quarterback in 49ers history, no fault of his own. Montana had it easier. He followed Steve DeBerg.
Had DeBerg been able to throw to Jerry Rice, who knows how history may have changed? Maybe Jeff Garcia, Young’s replacement, will provide a clue.
Young had no realistic chance to win four Super Bowls on the heels of Montana’s era. For one thing Young was 29 before they gave him the ball. For another, not even an organization as obsessed as Eddie DeBartolo’s 49ers could hope to maintain such Super Bowl dominance through two decades. Twice Young and the 49ers lost to better Dallas Cowboys teams in NFC title games.
Had he not rebounded to win it all in 1994–beating the Cowboys along the way–Young would go down in history with Dan Marino and Dan Fouts and Fran Tarkenton among the great passers without rings.
Because he started so late–after seven years of loitering in the USFL, with the Tampa Bay Bucs, and as Montana’s reluctant caddy–Young also had no chance of approaching the yardage of Marino, John Elway or Warren Moon. He didn’t throw as many touchdown passes as Boomer Esiason. So Young did all anyone could reasonably ask with the time and circumstance allotted.
He became the most efficient passer of all time, the only one to record six seasons of a plus-100 rating.
He had a slightly better overall winning percentage than Montana, winning nearly 74 percent of his 49ers starts compared with 72 percent for Montana.
He was voted by peers to seven consecutive Pro Bowls, a streak better than every 49er except Rice.
He set an NFL record of six consecutive 300-yard games, breaking Montana’s record.
He became the most dangerous and effective running quarterback in NFL history. Although Randall Cunningham has run for more yards, no quarterback has run for more touchdowns than Young’s 51. Young’s 49-yard dash to beat Minnesota in a 1988 substitute start is a classic NFL highlight.
He tied Sammy Baugh with six league passing titles.
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He threw more touchdown passes to Rice [85] than any other quarterback ever threw to any other receiver–30 more than Montana threw to Rice.
His 1994 Super Bowl season pushed quarterbacking to new levels. In his second season after Montana’s departure for Kansas City, Young was benched for Elvis Grbac in the fifth game during a 40-8 loss to Philadelphia. Coach George Seifert didn’t want him to get hurt.
But an angry Young argued with Seifert, displaying his competitiveness and re-establishing himself as the team leader. He went on to become league MVP after setting a passer-rating record of 112.8. He completed more than 70 percent of his passes and threw 35 TD passes with 10 interceptions–only three in the final 14 games. His six touchdown passes in the Super Bowl rout of San Diego set a record.
As a combination passer-runner, Young simply had no peer. Cleveland’s Otto Graham from the `40s and `50s was the closest, and Graham averaged only 2 yards a rush compared with Young’s 6 yards.
What Young was unable to do was strap his team onto his back and will it to victory when all appeared lost. Again he didn’t have many opportunities to bring the 49ers from behind because they usually grabbed early leads.
Young is credited with leading only 11 fourth-quarter game-winning victories for the 49ers. He started 138 games. Montana came from behind in the fourth quarter to win 26 times in 158 starts with San Francisco. That was the biggest difference between the two. Young was the scientist, Montana the magician. You appreciate the former and are awed by the latter.
You applaud both, long and loud.