Meet Jake Locker: The Anti-Vince Young

It was only 5 years ago that a highly touted QB from Texas was selected by Tennessee with the third pick in the 2006 NFL draft. At the time, the writing was on the wall for starter Steve McNair (RIP). Injuries and age began to curtail one of the toughest QBs ever. The heir apparent to the Titans QB throne was the scintillating Vince Young. Young was coming off an epic MVP performance in the National Championship/Rose Bowl game that saw him grow into a folk legend in Texas. Young just went bonkers on USC going off for 467 total yards including 19 rushes for 200 yards and went 30 of 40 for 267 yards thru the air. His Rose bowl performance was the icing on cake to one of the greatest college careers ever. Young was 2nd to Reggie Bush in the Heisman trophy voting his senior year and had set numerous NCAA records as he jumped early to the NFL. Titans owner Bud Adams with his Texas ties was captivated by the potential he saw and hand selected Young to replace what most would say was the best Titans QB ever.

As a result of his heroic season and career at the University of Texas, Young was seen as a revolutionary at his position of QB. Never before had the NFL seen such a hybrid mix of athleticism and throwing ability. NFL execs questioned his mechanics but a most thought he would eventually develop into an all-pro in the league someday. Young’s rookie season proved his pundits wrong as he would go on to win Rookie of the Year. Young set the NFL record for rushing yards by a QB finishing with 552 yards and would be named to his 1st Pro Bowl.

Young’s career with the Titans from that point would be considered up and down at best. To illustrate Young’s high and lows take a look at the chart below:

• He was benched for the first exhibition game in 2007 by Head Coach Jeff Fisher after he broke one of the team rules.

• Young led the Titans to a 10-6 record in 2007 and to their first playoff appearance since 2004

• In the first game of the 2008 season Young would injury his knee and refuse to go back into the game after being booed by the home crowd at LP field

• The on field incident would lead to a suicidal episode that Young denies but according to his mother was somewhat true.

• Kerry Collins would be named the starter for the remainder of the 2008 season and he led the Titans to a 13-3 record and the AFC divisional round in the playoffs.

• Young would reclaim his starting job in 2009 after the Titans started a dismal 0-6.

• He led a stunning comeback against the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals that cemented his status as the starting QB.

• He started the 2010 season with a 103.1 QB rating through 7 games, second only to Michael Vick.

• In week 11 of 2010 Young was booed again against the Washington Redskins for under performing and would injure his thumb on a throw, resulting in a season ending torn flexor tendon. Young became visibly upset with the coaching staff and trainers after they would not allow him to re-enter the game

• Young would respond by: antagonizing the crowd, throwing his helmet and shoulder pads into the stands, walking past reporters and brushing off a teammate who tried to talk to him before he left the stadium.

• Young would also storm out of the locker room during Jeff Fisher’s post-game speech, reportedly saying he was quitting on Fisher.

The last chapter of events effectively ended the Vince Young experience in Tennessee. The franchise has said it will depart with the 3rd pick of the 2006 draft after and it also fired head coach Jeff Fisher. Young and Fisher never were on the same page and it’s a shame because the relationship never reached a level of trust for either. The two were intertwined even if they didn’t like each other and their mistrust and miscommunication led to both being ousted in Tennessee. Young always seemed to lack accountability, consistency, and the leadership skills needed to succeed in the NFL. By the end of his term with Tennessee, most had labeled him a thin-skinned, injury prone, disinterested, and unstable player. What a turnaround in opinions from when Young was first drafted.





Now enter Jake Locker and newly minted head coach Mike Munchak. Just as Fisher and Young will be forever connected, so will Locker and Munchak. The Titans were said to be enamored with former Washington Huskies’ QB and took him with the eighth pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Locker was the projected top pick in 2010 had he skipped his senior season at Washington. Locker was the most polarizing player in the 2011 NFL draft. His draft stock plummeted his senior year due his regression in passing accuracy. His completion percentage dove from 58.2% as a junior to a disappointing 55.4% as a senior. He had a miserable performance on the national stage against the Nebraska Cornhuskers going 4 of 20 in the blowout loss. Locker would recover from the lackluster performance and lead the Huskies to the Holliday Bowl.

As Locker prepared for the draft, opinions on his NFL potential varied from extremely good to extremely bad. He spent most of pre-draft process working with ex-NFL QB Ken O’Brien on his mechanics and throwing motion. Many questioned his physical reckless abandon style of play as many of his highlights were him running over DBs instead throwing touchdown passes to receivers. Locker was often injured because of his style of play but it also gave him the label of being tough, a word that never associated with Young. And as much as critics criticized Locker’s mechanics and accuracy, most marveled at the intangibles he brought to his team. The one thing that can not be measured at the combine is what makes a player tick on the inside. Former coaches and teammates all raved at the leadership and resiliency that Locker played with. Again these are two things that were never associated with Young. Locker mental make-up seems to be what GM Mike Reinfeldt and Coach Mike Munchak liked best about him.

Furthermore, it seems Tennessee wanted to distance itself away from the Vince Young era as much as possible. The franchise wants to do it so bad that they drafted the exact opposite person in terms of mental construction. Locker in many ways is the anti-Young .He symbolizes everything that Young wasn’t as a tough, hardworking, and leader of men. Young is a great athlete there is no denying that but as it has been proven in the NFL, it takes more than that to cut it as a QB. Young was a celebrated star at Texas who compiled a record of 30-2 and won a national championship. Locker went through a 0-12 season and his teams never contended for the Pac-10 title much less a national title. The more you compare the two, the more you see differences in each other. Locker did not have the success of Young in college but that isn’t such a bad thing all things considered. It might actually turn out to be good that Locker had to face adversity as he will surely face plenty of it in the NFL.

One thing is clear here, the Titans needed a clean slate to start off a new era of Tennessee football. They needed to get someone who was in no shape, form, or fashion what they were trying to get away from. For everything that Young was, Locker appears not to be. Both men are supremely talented athletes but that seems to be the only things they have in common. The Titans took a gamble on guy that they trust to lead the franchise for the future. They may have reached in taking Locker at eight in the draft but they have set the course for a change in philosophy and culture within the locker room. No more VY or Jeff Fisher to blame as the scapegoat. This will be a different team that will hopefully reflect its tenacious former offensive linemen coach Munchak and the toughness and assiduous of its new QB in Locker.

In closing, I believe the Titans selected Locker with the reason of him being the exact antithetical person Young was. The Titans now have a person of strong character that won’t t be distracted every time he is booed or needs to go on suicidal watch after a bad game. Young and Locker’s physical attributes are similar but mentally these two couldn’t be further opposite from one another and that’s exactly what the Titans front-office had in mind. To all Titans fans, meet your future starting QB Jake Locker, the anti-Vince Young.

Change you can believe in for Titans

When Mike Munchak was hired as the new head coach of Tennessee Titans most from the outside looking in thought it was just a lateral move for the franchise. Munchak was seen from the public perception as a inside man who wouldn’t stray to far from what Jeff Fisher had put together over the last decade and a half. I for one thought Munch would keep things rather mundane as well. However in Munchak’s press conference introduction as head coach Munchak was quoted as saying “I feel like we're starting fresh. It's not same old, same old. We come in, sit down and figure out what's best for the Titans going forward with what we have. ... Anything's possible," Munchak said. That could go on to be the understatement of the year here in Tennessee.




The entire coaching staff of the Titans has gone under construction with Munchak at the helm. Gone are the familiar faces of Mike Hemindinger, Chuck Cecil and Jim Washburn and in are new coaches including new offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. This is a team that needed a shake-up, a change in the atmosphere and the status quo. Munchak is proving that he won’t settle for the same results from the Titans as in years past under Fisher.

Moreover the defensive identity will change under new coordinator Jerry Gray. Gray is familiar with the team as he was the Titans defensive back coach from 1999 to 2000. He will install a multiple defensive capable of switching to a 3-4 and 4-3 accordingly. Gray credits former Titans DC Gregg Williams as one of the many influences to him as a coordinator He also stated that he wanted players to be more disciplined as the Titans were one of the most penalized teams in the league last year. Said Gray "I was kind of brought up the old-fashioned way as a player," he said. "If you're not disciplined, it's hard to win. You can't win because you're going to make a mistake and next thing you know, you're going to screw it up."

The last and maybe the most important thing that has to be addressed by the new coaching staff is the QB position. Vince Young obviously won’t be back next year so the Titans will have to start fresh. The good news on that front is that new offensive coordinator has a nice track record with developing QBs, as he has worked with Mark Brunell during his most successful seasons in Jacksonville, Drew Bledsoe when he led the Pats to the Super Bowl and most recently Eli Manning as the Giants quarterback coach when they won their last Super Bowl. Munchak and Palmer know the importance of the QB position as both were separately quoted saying as much. Munchak stated "I really wanted to have someone strong in that (quarterback development) area because that's been a problem here a little bit," Munchak said. "I knew it might come down to really developing a young quarterback. I felt he's been around a lot of quarterbacks in this league, and when he's been there with them, they've played very well." As for Palmer, he stated "It's our job as coaches to identify what talent is available and to give them the chance to perform"

The Titans have many options in their QB search as they could grab one in the draft with the eight overall pick they own. They could also find a veteran on the free agent market or via trade with the likes of Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, or Kyle Orton looking to be available. It will definitely be interesting to see what direction they go for the most important position on the field. Of course all of this will be subject to matters of the current labor strife being negotiated by the owners and players union and as of today they are moving at a snail’s pace.

In summarizing, this is a team in transition. Changes have been installed from top to bottom and not only in personnel and coaching but also in mentality. Change can definitely be good in terms of a football team. The organization seemed to grow stagnant under Fisher. These types of things happen when the same system has been in place for so long. I have to credit Munchak for rolling the dice and bringing a change of culture and influences to the Titans. Only time will tell if these changes will result in changes in the win column. We all know that will be the only thing that matters come next season.

Vince Young done in Tennessee

So Bud Adams has made his decision and it is that Vince Young is out in Tennessee. Everyone knew that either Young or Coach Jeff Fisher were not going to be back next year after their fiasco this season. Not the most stunning news but it is mildly surprising. Young was hand picked by the Titans owner to take over the franchise after the Steve McNair era. Adams had been hot on Young’s trail every since he rose to stardom as a high school star at Houston’s Madison high school. Adams being a Houston native was able to see the potential in Young as he demolished several Texas high school records. Every since Adams and Young met they seemed to have a bond between each other. After Young sensational college career, where he set multiple University of Texas records and led them to a national championship in his final year, Young was selected with the 3rd pick by Tennessee in the 2006 draft.

Young would have his ups and downs from the beginning of his tenure with Tennessee. He would have a breakout rookie season that saw him go 8-5 after being inserted as the starter by the request of owner Bud Adams. Young showed a flair for the dramatics and won over Titan fans with his three fourth quarter comebacks including one against arch rival Indianapolis. He would set an NFL record by rushing for 552 yards and was named Offensive rookie of the year.

Everyone expected a big jump from Young in 2007 after his great rookie campaign. Young would put up decent numbers finishing the season with 2,459 yards with 9 touchdowns but he also seemed to regress as he threw 17 interceptions. He would still go on to lead Tennessee to the playoffs for his first time and was named to pro bowl again after a Phillip Rivers injury.



2008 was the season where things begin shaky for Young. In the first game of the season, Young was under performing against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The fans let him know about it as they showered him and the Titans with boos, something Young was not use to. Young’s rough day included only throwing for 110 yards and being intercepted twice. Young was slow to head back into the game. Once Young did reluctantly get back into the game he sprained his knee two plays later and was on crutches after the game. This would be the first incident between Young and Jeff Fisher. Fisher was noticeably angry that Young did not wasn’t to go back into the game. Fisher would name Kerry Collins as the starter for the rest of year due to Young’s unenthusiastic response. Young would also be subject to a suicidal incident that led to an all out search for his whereabouts in Nashville. He was reported as dismayed when he left his home according to his mother and he was also noted as having a gun. Fisher and Young’s mother notified the police who found Young. Young stated that he was fine and the situation was way overblown. Collins would lead the team to a 13-3 record and a first round bye in the playoffs. The season would end in the divisional round with a lost to Baltimore however.

The 2009 campaign saw Young relegated to the sidelines at the beginning of the season. The Titans however begin the season a dismal 0-6 and thus prompting owner Bud Adams to once again request Young’s services. Even as Adams urged Fisher to make the change and Fisher obliged he stated that “I'm still in Kerry Collins' corner because I don't believe that our record is a reflection of the quarterback play," Fisher said. "It's a reflection of the team play. I'm still in his corner, but we've decided to go ahead and make this change." Young would prove Fisher wrong as he would go on to lead the Titans to eight victories in ten tries. He led a stunning comeback against the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals that saw him at his best. He capped a 99-yard drive at the end of the game with a game winning pass to Kenny Britt. It was the first game I remember thinking this guy is on to something as he was poised and threw the deep ball better than I could ever remember seeing from him. Young again would make the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Phillip Rivers yet again.

Coming into this season, it was supposed to be the coming of age for Young as he finally had taken the starting QB job back from Kerry Collins and had a full off season to solidify his standing with the team. He had put to bed the rumors of his childish acts and selfish mentality. Young showed in the preseason a new more dedicated work ethic and it proved to be working at the beginning of the season. Young looked comfortable in the pocket and his throwing as well as he ever has as a pro.

The Titans reflected from Young’s new found confidence and would start hot going 5-2. Young was enjoying his best statistical year as he had a QB rating of 103.1 at that junction of the season trailing only Michael Vick for the highest rating.

Everything changed for Young, Fisher and the Titans when the Washington Redskins came to town in week 9. The Titans were not playing the most inspired football and the fans again let them know about it. Young seemed to take exception. He began to wave his hands up and down to antagonize the crowd in Nashville, something you never do. Young was enjoying a decent game until he was injured making a throw. Young would try to tough it out and re-enter the game but trainers and Coach Jeff Fisher would not let him. Young self-destructed after the teams decision. His list of incidents after include: throwing his helmet and shoulder pads into the stands, walking past reporters and brushing off a teammate who tired to talk to him before he left the stadium and mumbling words at Jeff Fisher during his post-game speech. Young would also storm out of the locker room before Fisher was finished delivering his rant and Fisher reportedly stated that he was quitting on his team. Young responded back by saying that he wasn’t quitting on them but he was quitting on Fisher.

This was later stated by Fisher “I am very disappointed. I think his teammates are disappointed,” Fisher said. “You know, there is going to be frustration in losses. There is going to be times when you have to dig deep and fight and turn to one another. I don’t think you run, and so I am disappointed

In my opinion that was the straw that broke the camel’s back in Nashville. Not only was Young immature and childish in response to good decision by fisher and the training staff not to put him back in the game but he also sullied his reputation with the fans. There were already rumors about his mental fortitude after his previous meltdowns. Some said that in the locker room teammates preferred Kerry Collins to start as well. Coach Jeff Fisher seemed to never be in Young’s corner from the very beginning. He tried to suffice with Young on many occasion to soothe owner Bud Adams’s prized possession. But in the end neither man could stand each other’s presence. Young seemed to always think Fisher was against him and was never able to gain his coaches confidence. Both are to blame for the relationship not working. Fisher went out of his way to say that even if Young was not injured, he would not be his starting quarterback anymore, which I can understand due to his antics. What I will never understand between Fisher and Young is their lack of communication. Young didn’t even speak to Fisher about the incident until a few days later and resorted to sending him a text message to apologize. Fisher stated that a man would have spoken to him face to face to offer an apology which I agree to but again did he have to make that statement publicly?

In the end this was a relationship doomed to fail. Young was sort of a diva and thought he would have his own rules as he did everywhere else he played. Fisher is an old school guy who treats everyone the same until they earn the respect of him and the team. Bud Adams fostered Young and also splintered the relationship of Young and Fisher. It’s a shame that it couldn’t work out. It is surprising that Adams choose Young over Fisher as Young was suppose to be Adams protégé.As for Young, I’m sure he will land on his feet. There is always a team looking for a QB. The Young and Fisher saga has sadly played its last note in Music City.

So what do you guys think Vince Young's legacy will be remembered as in Tennessee?

Titans Turmoil

The Vince Young and Jeff Fisher saga is getting as messy as the ending of a bad Hollywood relationship. Coach Jeff Fisher reportedly told Young not to attend a team meeting being held yesterday. Initially the Tennessean reported, citing unidentified sources that Young was in the training room Monday when he was asked to leave the facility by the quarterbacks coach and told he wasn’t wanted in the building after what happened Sunday. The newspaper said Young left without incident. The story was later refuted by Fisher on his radio show but he did confirm that he sent an assistant coach to inform Young that he was not to attend the team meeting. Fisher also said that he hasn’t spoken with Young since he stormed out of the locker room after Sunday’s game. Bud Adams stated that the two will just have to work it out and the story will blow over after a few days. Adams also went on to say that he wants Young to be in the team’s plan in the future. “It is one of those things that happened” Adams said but I think he is underestimating just how bad the rift between Young and Fisher is.

So you have your quarterback who acted out like a high school freshman throwing a temper tantrum after not getting to play when trainers and the coach clearly didn’t think he was healthy enough to play. A coach who seems to never really been fond of his supposedly franchise QB, and doesn’t sound interested to talk to him either after their confrontation. And lastly an owner who thinks the two guys just need to sit down and sing Cum-bi-ya together and everything will go away. This is what makes this situation so defective. All three involved in this stand off have different views of the situation. Young believes he was slighted by Fisher and acted selfishly and immature in the aftermath, Fisher, who would rather have anyone else start at this point than Young and wants to wash his hands of him completely and the disillusioned owner in Adams who doesn’t want to play sides with the two but seems to really have an affection for Young no matter what he does.

This is a toxic mix of motives and ideas. I just don’t see a resolution in this other than one of the two being exited from the organization. The writing is on the wall for Young or Fisher. The two don’t seem to be able to co-exist in a productive manner. You know it’s bad when you have Randy Moss playing the peacemaker on the sidelines. Neither trusts the other and no other position on the field needs trust more than the QB to the coach. Look at the most successful franchises over the last decade in New England with Brady and Belicheck and Indianapolis with Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy in the beginning and now with Jim Caldwell. Could you imagine either one of those teams going through this kind of chaos? Me either. It goes without saying that the QB and the coach have to be on the same page in order for the entire team to be successful, and New England and Indianapolis prove that. When you look at the relationship Fisher had with the late Steve McNair, you can clearly the trust was there and that led to great things as the Titans had there greatest seasons in that era.

In summarizing, this is a story that is not going anywhere anytime soon. It has dominated national news and we’re not even going to speak about the way its being covered by the local media here in Nashville. This has become a fire storm of a topic. I can’t dodge it myself, as every time I talk sports to my friends and family it is all they want to talk about. It may die down in importance as the season wears on but one thing is for sure in my mind. Either Vince Young or Jeff Fisher will be gone after this season. Bud Adams will ultimately have to make that unsavory decision and it will be a tough one but its one that has to be made. Who would you rather see leave Nashville: Fisher or Young?