Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 5, 1993 TAG: 9301050021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
YOUNG NO AVERAGE JOE NOW
Steve Young, who surged out of the shadow of a superstar to have a super season, was selected Monday as The Associated Press 1992 Offensive Player of the Year.The oft-maligned Young, a backup to Joe Montana for four years and subject of trade rumors when the season began, led the 49ers to the best record in the league, 14-2. He also led the NFL in passing with a 107 rating, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 66.7 percent of his passes.
Such stats, and Young's unquestioned leadership amidst uncertainty concerning Montana, earned him the award Montana won in 1989.
"It's a fantastic honor. The funny thing is I feel like, as a team, we can even get better," Young said. "To get something like that, what it tells me is we have 11 guys on the same page. And in football, there's nothing more satisfying than knowing that we've got 11 guys that are going in the same direction as one unit."
Young received 28 of 80 votes cast by a nationwide panel of media members. Running back Barry Foster of Pittsburgh, who tied an NFL mark with 12 100-yard games, was next with 24, and Emmitt Smith of Dallas, the league's leading rusher, got 17 votes.
The contrast in Young as a performer and a leader was obvious from 1991, when he replaced the injured Montana and the team played inconsistently, going 10-6 and not making the playoffs.
"The biggest difference is that it was the next year," he said. "It was the year following a first. With the first of anything you're going to be experimenting and going through a lot of different things. I know it seems kind of simplistic, but in reality that was the main difference this season, that it followed a real important learning, growing year."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL