Vince Young takes another step down the comeback trail

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Vince Young did something Tuesday that he had never done before.

He accepted a long snap and pretended to hold for a placekick.

“That was the first time for that one,” the 33-year-old quarterback said with a chuckle after the first day of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ mini-camp at Historic Dodgertown. “I thought I did a pretty good job, though.”

Of course, that wasn’t the only new thing Young did Tuesday. Even just walking onto a CFL-sized football field for the first time in his life was different for Young, who’s trying to accomplish a rare feat.

A two-time Pro Bowl quarterback during his NFL career, Young hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2011 and hasn’t been part of a pro football team since 2014.

And yet there he was Tuesday, playing with and against other hopefuls who watched him on TV more than a decade ago.

“I’m just happy to be here, hanging out with the guys and laughing with the guys,” Young said. “A lot of guys gave me a lot of respect and the (defensive backs) were talking noise: ‘We’re going to pick you off, V.Y.’ We’re having a good time. I love that and I did miss that (after retiring).”

Young was a star at the University of Texas, leading the Longhorns to a 30-2 record over his three seasons as a starter. He helped Texas post a 41-38 victory over the USC Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl — that year’s national championship game.

The 6-foot-5, 232-pounder was drafted in the first round (third overall) of the 2006 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans. After starting 13 games for them that season, he was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.

After five seasons with the Titans, Young was released in July of 2011. He subsequently had NFL stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns but didn’t appear in a regular-season game with any of them.

He was released by Cleveland in May of 2014, and announced his retirement in June of 2014.

Since then, Young has been working for the University of Texas and doing TV work on the Longhorn Network. His holdings include a steakhouse and a real estate brokerage.

In January, Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones called Young and asked if he was interested in playing again. Three months later, after diligent training and filmwork, Young is back on a football field.

Roughriders quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson met Young earlier this year and gave the pivot a list of things on which to focus — the playbook, his three- and five-step drops, throwing to the wide side of the larger Canadian field, and so forth.

On Tuesday, Young put that work to the test. He thought that he translated things well from the film room to the field and physically — after what he called “a tough warmup” — he felt good.

“The biggest adjustment here is you’ve got to be on time with your throws, especially when you’re going to the wide side of the field,” he said. “That goes back to your reads and progressions.

“The (biggest) thing is just making sure, when you throw those long balls, to know that you can’t put a lot of heat on it. You’ve got to get it out there because it’s a long way.”

His arm strength wasn’t an issue, especially when he dropped a perfect 45-yard touchdown pass into the arms of Antwane Grant.

“At the end of the day, there were a few mistakes here and there — which is expected,” Jackson said. “It’s the same thing you would expect from a young guy that’s coming in.”

Jones noted the Roughriders’ defensive coaches threw a lot at Young to see how he would handle different coverages. In Jones’ mind, Young “did a really nice job” on Day 1.

Asked if he was surprised by anything Young did, Jones shook his head.

“We’ve seen him play,” he said. “The thing I like about him most is he wins football games. I look forward to seeing exactly — when the live bullets start and guys are flying around and he’s got some D-linemen around him — what he’s going to do with the football.”

Young knows he still has to compete for a job with the Roughriders, who are searching for a No. 1 quarterback to replace the departed Darian Durant.

There are five QBs at mini-camp: Young, Kevin Glenn, Brandon Bridge, Bryan Bennett and Jake Heaps. G.J. Kinne was expected to participate, but Jones said Kinne likely won’t be returning to Saskatchewan in 2017.

Kinne joins Durant and Jake Waters (who retired to take a coaching job at Iowa State University) as quarterbacks from the 2016 Roughriders who have moved on.

Young, meanwhile, continues his drive toward a roster spot. He’s aware that nothing is guaranteed and that a lot of effort is required to earn a job.

That helps to explain the training video he recently put out — “It’s just putting in the work,” Young said when asked about the video — and the work he has done since the Roughriders first called.

On Tuesday, he took the next step toward his goal.

“I’m just happy to be out here competing and learning,” Young said. “Tomorrow I’ve got another day and then I’ve got another day (Thursday). Today I’m going to go in and study and see what I did wrong, things I did well and the things I can get better at.”