Young joins NFL legends
Longtime 49ers quarterback again follows Montana, this time into Hall of Fame

Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young took his place Sunday among the game's all-time greats.Young, 43, whose combination of passing and running skills made him perhaps the most versatile quarterback in NFL history, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.The induction class included Miami quarterback Dan Marino, and pioneers Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman, who were honored posthumously. - NFL Football -
More than 500 family and friends, including about a dozen former teammates, made the trip to Canton to see Young accept football's greatest individual honor. Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo and former team president Carmen Policy were in attendance, along with current owners John and Denise York.Young was named league MVP twice, earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl, and is the highest-rated passer in league history. - NFL Football -
His spot in the Hall of Fame was assured when he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl title after the 1994 season."Football is a great metaphor for life," said Young in his acceptance speech. "For me, it'll never again be third-and-10, late in the fourth quarter, down by four at Candlestick Park."Nothing in life can be like those great moments. But with all those experiences then, and all the other good things that happened, life today is even better," said Young, who married at 38 after his playing career had ended. - NFL Football -
Speaking about his wife Barbara and young sons Braedon, 4, and Jackson, 2, he said he has found the secret to life: "Loving others more than you love yourself."Gaining the love of 49ers fans was never easy for Young, who played 13 seasons with the 49ers before retiring in 2000.He languished behind Joe Montana for four seasons until getting his chance, and was often considered an interloper usurping the hugely popular Montana. Again he follows Montana -- this time into the Hall of Fame. - NFL Football -
Young displayed remarkable perseverance during his 49ers career. He arrived in San Francisco after coach Bill Walsh swung a trade in 1987 to rescue Young from the purgatory of Tampa Bay, where he won just two of the 19 games in which he appeared.He joined the 49ers with the understanding Montana would soon step aside and he would take over one of the most coveted positions in sports. But Montana still had some of his best days ahead, leading the 49ers to Super Bowl titles in 1988 and '89.Young eagerly awaited his opportunity, and his patience was tested. Although Young said he and Montana "never had a cross word," tension clearly developed between the men. But now Young said he "can't minimize the impact of watching and learning from Joe."Montana, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, was not among the 51 Hall of Famers who attended the ceremony. - NFL Football -
Hall of Fame 49ers Bill Walsh, Ronnie Lott, Bob St. Clair, Dave Wilcox, Joe Perry and Jimmy Johnson were on hand to represent the team.Young had opportunities to go elsewhere during the heat of the Joe vs. Steve controversy that gripped the Bay Area. But he insisted on remaining with San Francisco. After starting 10 games in his first four seasons as the league's highest-priced backup, Young became the full-time starter in 1991 because of Montana's elbow injury.Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. One year later, Young solidified his spot among football's elite by leading the 49ers to a 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Young threw a career-high and Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes."Just recently, someone gave us a photo album from Steve's playing days," said Barbara Young, who began dating Steve in 1999."I started reading all these articles from the early '90s, and I was like, 'Oh, my gosh!' And he said, 'See, what I was dealing with?' I told him, 'I can't believe you stuck around.'"In his speech, Young shared his motivation for remaining with the 49ers when he could have started for just about any other team in the league."Joe Montana was the greatest quarterback I've ever seen," Young said. "I was in awe. I was tempted many times to play for other teams. - NFL Football -
But I was drawn by the inevitable challenge to live up to the challenge that I was witnessing."I knew if I was ever going to find out how good I could get, I needed to stay in San Francisco and learn, even if it was brutally hard to do."

MATT MAIOCCO
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT