Vince Young and His Mommy

Everyone stand up and give Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans a resounding round of applause, but make sure it only contains cheers and no boos. After all he has announced that his heart is in playing football and his mommy asked nicely that we pray for Vince and support him.

Felicia Young said her son has grown weary of all the negativity he faces as an NFL star. On Monday, he indicated to those around him he didn't want to play football anymore. "Vince has gone through a whole lot as a young person,'' Felicia Young said.”And I think he has done pretty well up to this point. But it is hard, all he is going through right now. He's hurting inside and out. But he will be fine if people are prayerful and help my baby boy out. He is a young man. He just needs a lot of love and support.''

At what point do you stop referring to your son in public as your baby boy? After he wins a National Championship at Texas? After he becomes an NFL football player? After he carries a gun in his glove compartment? You will have to excuse me if I reserve my prayers for the people that need them; the sick, dying, elderly and soldiers that are deployed in harm’s way. Somehow, I just don’t think I need to take the time to ask the good Lord to help Vince make it through a football game without the fans booing him. Can you even imagine what Vince would be facing if he was playing in a New York media market as opposed to Nashville?

When the decision is made to pursue collegiate football at a major BCS school and sign an NFL contract for mega money, the choice is made to place your athletic abilities in the public eye every week for the entire football season. Play great and you will have an entire state supporting you, play poorly and feel the wrath of the fan paying your multi-million dollar salary. Have today’s professional athletes reached such a level of codling that mothers are actually appealing to the public for support of their baby boys? Let your child fight his or her own battles in public, especially when they are 24 years old, a professional NFL player and no longer in kindergarten. If they are old enough to vote and be drafted to fight in war then they should be old enough to handle getting booed on a football field.

In all reality if and when Vince Young returns from his knee injury, will his teammates welcome him back? As a player and coach, is this the quarterback I want leading my team? Perhaps the mental health issues, as well as the knee injury suffered by Vince Young will provide Kerry Collins with an opportunity to reestablish himself as a starting quarterback. After all, opportunity is what you make of it and the 14 for 21 passing performance this weekend has Collins headed in the correct direction. Hopefully, the Titans will continue to treat Young’s mental issues just as seriously as they treat rehabbing his injured knee and provide him the support he needs.

Finally, when the desire to quit NFL football strikes Vince Young, will his mom be dropping off his $51 million signing bonus? Perhaps she can return the check with the orange slices she brings for the team at half time? Or is this all just a ploy for Felicia Young to steal the Chunky Soup Commercial from Donovan McNabb’s mother Wilma?

For now I am wondering if the Titans would have been better off signing Bobby and Mama Boucher…