Eight Utah sports figures who are true heroes

Steve Young was often unmatched on the field, using his elusiveness to create plays at the collegiate (BYU) and professional (San Francisco 49ers) levels.

Young succeeded record-setting Jim McMahon as the Cougars' starting quarterback and his senior season in 1983 was spectacular. He passed for 3,902 yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season, and his 71.3 percent completion percentage set an NCAA single-season record. With Young at quarterback, BYU set an NCAA record by averaging 584 yards of total offense per game.

Young finished his college career with 592 pass completions for 7,733 yards and 56 touchdowns, along with 1,048 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Young played 14 NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers and was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1992 and 1994, the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement, he had the highest passer rating among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts, currently ranking third. He is also still ranked highest amongst retired players and won a record six NFL passing titles.

Young now oversees the Forever Young Foundation, which is “focused on passing on hope and resources for the development, strength, and education of children.” The Foundation serves children facing significant physical, emotional and financial challenges by providing them with academic, athletic and therapeutic opportunities currently unavailable to them.

On the docket for the foundation is the 27th Annual Steve Young Classic at the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort on March 2.