In the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre Agassi’s riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives readers an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback.
Steve Young was not expected to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. A devout Mormon, he had a perfect GPA, studied Latin and calculus, and developed a photographic memory. His mother pleaded that he not play football. But Young was determined to become the next Roger Staubach.
QB tells the story of a boy with a gentle demeanor who overcame personal fears and his teammates’ and coaches’ indifference to reach the pinnacle of America’s most violent game. Football was a test and a quest: eighth on the depth chart at BYU, Young was told he’d NEVER play quarterback. He endured massive media scrutiny as the highest paid player in sports history before he ever stepped on the field as a professional. As a 49er, he went head-to-head with Joe Montana in what became the NFL’s greatest quarterback controversy.
Young’s biggest hurdles were invisible to the public: the physical pain that comes with being an ordinary-size man in a league of giants; the loneliness of playing 16 seasons as a bachelor; and an undiagnosed case of separation anxiety that made him dread getting out of bed and caused him to vomit in locker rooms before games. Through sheer grit, he put on a helmet week after week, season after season, leading his team to a Super Bowl championship, endearing himself to both the city of San Francisco and football fans everywhere.
