NFL
Steve Young Went to BYU and Was Related to Brigham Young, the School’s Namesake
As a Hall of Fame quarterback and a longtime TV analyst, Steve Young has left a lasting legacy for NFL fans.
Before he ever reached the pros, Young was a highly-touted college quarterback at BYU. A devout Mormon, Young chose to attend the school named for Brigham Young.
Interestingly, the eventual San Francisco 49ers star was actually related to Brigham Young. Here’s Young’s story.
Steve Young is an NFL legend
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The first overall pick in the 1984 NFL supplemental draft, Steve Young’s resume speaks for itself.
The 6-foot-2 gunslinger made seven Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowl rings — one of which, in 1994, came as the 49ers’ starting quarterback — during a 15-year career.
The longtime backup to Joe Montana, Young became the 49ers’ starting quarterback in 1992 and posted a winning record every year until his final down in 1999.
The two-time MVP also totaled 4,239 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground.
Young was a three-time first-team All-Pro selection. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and has worked at ESPN since 2000. He joined the network on a full-time basis in 2001.
Young played collegiately at BYU
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It has been nearly 40 years since Steve Young took his final snap at BYU.
Fans of that era will remember just how dominant Young was in blue and white. Young completed 65.2% of his passes for 7,733 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 33 touchdowns in three seasons.
The dual-threat quarterback also scored 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons.
Young finished second in the 1983 Heisman Trophy voting. BYU went 30-7 in Young’s three seasons at the helm.
Steve Young is related to Brigham Young, the school’s namesake
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BYU is named for Brigham Young, the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1947 to 1877.
Steve Young is one of Brigham Young’s many descendants. Given that the older Young married 27 times and had 56 children, it shouldn’t have been too surprising that one of his descendants would eventually quarterback at BYU.
In a 2016 interview with NPR, Young noted as much.
“…[a]nd then the outside press said, oh, my gosh, you’re related to Brigham Young. No wonder you’re playing quarterback. And I was like, no one cared until then. In fact, no one knew my name. The head coach, when he found out, he said, oh, your last name’s Young?”
Steve Young is officially Brigham Young’s great-great-great-grandson.
Steve Young is a devout Mormon and has spent his life sharing what that means to him. Young co-authored a book, QB: My Life Behind the Spiral, in 2016.
In the book, he discussed why separation anxiety kept him from going on a two-year mission, a trip that many Mormons take.
All stats courtesy of Football Reference and Sports-Reference