Not every NFL scout has the eye to recognize all-time talent and Steve Young's rise to prominence is the perfect example of talent that got away from many football franchises. On the field, Young was a risk-taker and was willing to take the blame for some of the wild throws he would take. But while he knew some of the attempts he was making were irresponsible, he was also aware that some of those passes would ingrain his name as an NFL legend. While at Bringham Young University, the coaching staff considered switching Young to defensive back because of his athletic ability and the struggles he was having getting accumulated as a college quarterback. But after countless hours of work, Young proved he was worthy of the position and set an NCAA single-season record with a completion percentage of 73.1 as a senior in 1983. Young also helped BYU set an NCAA record averaging 584.2 yards per game as well. To close out his college career Young led the Cougars to a 21-17 victory in the 1983 Holiday Bowl against the Missouri Tigers.
Prior to entering the NFL, Steve Young played in the United States Football League (USFL) with the Los Angeles Express for two seasons before the league was dissolved. Young was picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the supplemental draft but went 3-16 with Young as a starter. In 1987, Steve Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers where he would make history leading the team to three Super Bowl victories (XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX). Young would win Super Bowl MVP honors in Super Bowl XXIX for throwing a Super Bowl record six touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers. Young had a passer rating of over 100 six times throughout his fifteen-season NFL career along with seven Pro Bowl nods and two NFL MVP honors. Steve Young retired following the 1999 NFL season.
Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.
Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.
Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.
Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.
Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.
Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.