Vince Young, SEC legend?

During his career with the Longhorns, Vince Young was the 2003 Big 12 offensive freshman of the year, a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2005, and the 2005 Big 12 offensive player of the year. So it makes perfect sense for Young to be the inaugural Longhorn to be named a SEC Football Legend now that the Longhorns are members of the Southeastern Conference.

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Young was announced as one of 16 stars of SEC schools to be honored as 2024 SEC Football Legends at the SEC Championship in Atlanta, Ga. this December despite never once suiting up for a SEC team. In fact, the only time Young stepped on a SEC field was in 2004 when the Longhorns went to Fayetteville, Ark. on September 11, 2004. Young was 11-for-22 for 150 yards with two touchdowns plus 56 yards on the ground in a 22-20 Texas win.

This type of honor isn’t new to the SEC. Upon first joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M saw a number of players who never so much played in SEC earn the honor of legend.

John David Crow, Dat Nguyen, Jacob Green Bubba Bean, Ray Mickens, Dave Elmendorf, Pat Thomas, Ed Simonini, and Ray Childress have all earned the distinction. Similar applies to Missouri standouts like Kellen Winslow, Jeremy Maclin, and Brad Smith among many others. Arkansas even has a number of SEC legends who never wore a SEC patch including Steve Atwater and Dick Bumpas.

But still, it’s jarring to see Young, who is one of the best players in the history of the Big 12 if not all of college football, to be honored by a conference he never wore the patch for.

Here are his other classmates, per the SEC.

• Alabama – Barrett Jones, Offensive Lineman, 2009-12
• Arkansas – Ken Hamlin, Free Safety, 2000-02
• Auburn – Marcus McNeill, Offensive Tackle, 2002-2005
• Florida – Rex Grossman, Quarterback, 2000-02
• Georgia – Terrence Edwards, Receiver, 1999-2002
• Kentucky – Dicky Lyons Sr., Tailback/Receiver/All-Purpose, 1966-68
• LSU – Andrew Whitworth, Offensive Tackle, 2002-05
• Ole Miss – Dexter McCluster, Running Back, 2006-09
• Mississippi State – Fletcher Cox, Defensive Lineman, 2009-11
• Missouri – Chase Daniel, Quarterback, 2005-08
• Oklahoma – Barry Switzer, Head Coach, 1973-88
• South Carolina – Corey Miller, Defensive End, 1987-90
• Tennessee – Eric Berry, Defensive Back, 2007-09
• Texas – Vince Young, Quarterback, 2002-05
• Texas A&M – Luke Joeckel, Offensive Tackle, 2010-12
• Vanderbilt – Ricky Anderson, Punter/Kicker, 1981-84

SEC bio on Vince Young

One of the most exciting players the game has ever seen as a quarterback at Texas from 2002-05, Vince Young turned in one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history in 2005. A consensus First Team All-American in 2005, Young was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy while claiming the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell awards. That season, the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year led the Longhorns to a perfect 13-0 season, winning the BCS National Championship Game against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. The win capped a remarkable season that saw Young become the first player in FBS history with more than 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single-season. Boasting a 30-2 record as a starter, Young owns multiple Longhorn records. Young became just the fourth player in FBS history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a career. A member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor, his No. 10 jersey is one of only six retired by Texas, and he is enshrined in the College Football, Rose Bowl, State of Texas Sports and Texas High School Football halls of fame. The Tennessee Titans selected Young with the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he played six seasons in the league with the Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. The 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was selected to two Pro Bowls, becoming the first rookie quarterback to play in the game.