Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesMatt Leinart and Vince Young have been intercepted at the same time.
While this may not seem feasible within the confines of a football game, it is happening in the game of football.
Both young men, one a Heisman winner, Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
one who barely missed out, both who dominated the college game, set records for their teams, won awards andnational championships—both seemed to be headed to pro-football stardom.
Their future seemed enormously bright.
They would face off forever as they had in college, creating one of the great rivalries the game had ever seen. Theirs would be a world of fame and fortune and football greatness. When they squared off, TV ratings would be off the charts, and everyone watching would be wearing one of their jerseys—the best-selling jerseys in the game.
But that was not the scenario to be.
Leinart came into the league a first-round pick. At 6'5", 230 lbs., the deft lefty possessed an uncanny ability to find open receivers and what appeared to be an NFL-ready knack for winning under even the most dire circumstances.Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, he was supposed to be the heir apparent to Kurt Warner.
With his good looks, charm and football pedigree, Leinart looked the part like few before him. Yet a weak arm betrayed him. In the big leagues you have to get the ball down the field, and that just didn't seem to be one of his attributes. In college, he somehow got away with it. In the pros, he was benched and then traded and now is trying to make it as a backup with a one-year deal for the Houston Texans. It is do or die for Leinart, who will have to muster all of his skills if he is to survive in the NFL.
Vince Young'splight may have a more swift Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
and dire outcome. Just this week, in a childish fit, Young stormed out of the locker room of the Tennessee Titans after a loss. He was subsequently banished from future meetings by coach Jeff Fisher. That behavior—and a season-ending thumb injury—put Young's young career in jeopardy.
Unlike Leinart, Young had already risen to the top of the NFL charts, having been named Offensive Rookie of the Year and makingit to the Pro Bowl. In a strange but foreboding set of circumstances, Young fell out of favor with his team, only to rise again in 2009 and gain the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Physically, Young has some great football tools, although like Leinart, his arm is suspect. While Leinart is a pinpoint passer who can hit the swing man out of the backfield, Young is a wild-eyed and wild-armed monster who can fling the ball as far as anyone in the game.
Like Michael Vick, he can gain yards on the ground, but unlike the Philly QB, Young has trouble sustaining a game's momentum. Even more troubling is his egocentric andimpish behavior. He is not a team player.
Where have these winners gone? They seemed to have all that it takes and much, much more to lead their teams to championships and gain stardom for themselves.
The NFL is a stern taskmaster that requires more Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
than a good arm, swift legs and a solid pedigree to succeed.
It remains to be seen what will happen to these two young men with the once-bright futures and whether they can right the ships they sailed in on.
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