Dallas Morning News
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UT quarterback Vince Young turning pro
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12:19 PM CST on Sunday, January 8, 2006
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By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News[/SIZE]
AUSTIN –
Texas junior quarterback Vince Young will forego his final year of eligibility and make himself eligible for the NFL Draft at a news conference in Austin this afternoon, according to his godmother.
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ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN
Vince Young is expected to have a news conference this afternoon.
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Yolande Levine said Young and Young’s mother, Felicia, met with Young’s pastor, Samuel H. Smith, in Houston on Sunday morning before finalizing the decision. Young was on his way to Austin to meet with Texas coach Mack Brown to tell Brown of Young’s decision, Levine said.
“After that performance in the Rose Bowl, I think we all kind of knew which way he was going to go,” Levine said.
Levine said it was important to Young to return to campus to meet with Brown with all the same people who were on his recruiting visit: his mother, the family’s attorney, Major Adams, and his uncle, Keith Young.
Vince Young becomes the first high-profile player to leave Texas early for the NFL in Brown’s eight years as coach of the Longhorns.
Young scored twice in the final 4:30, including an 8-yard, game-winning touchdown run with 19 seconds left, to beat USC, 41-38, for the national title on Wednesday. Young’s NFL draft stock seemed to soar after accounting for a Rose Bowl record 467 yards of total offense in the game.
But published reports have said the Houston Texans, who have the first pick, will pick up an $8 million roster bonus to keep quarterback David Carr and will draft USC tailback Reggie Bush.
Published reports have said the New Orleans Saints are interested in USC quarterback Matt Leinart with the second pick. The Tennessee Titans, who have quarterback Steve McNair, a mentor to and close friend of Young’s, have the third pick.
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