More than 100 students packed William C. Powers Auditorium to hear from the man who led the Longhorns to their first Rose Bowl championship 19 years ago and is now a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday, Campus Events and Entertainment's Distinguished Speakers and Culture Shock Committee hosted a Black History Month event with former NFL player and UT alumnus Vince Young. Young spoke about his experiences as a football player, former student, and philanthropist and what drives him.
“Everyone else wanted me to play a different position, and I was fighting every day,” Young said. “I wasn't going to change my position just because the world told me 'no'. The bigger picture is to give an opportunity to the next young man who wants to play that position. And UT and Coach Brown gave me that opportunity.”
Young played in college from 2002 to 2005. During this time, he broke several records on the football field and led his team to numerous victories. While on campus, Young worked toward his degree. To stay focused, he said, he focused on his dream of graduating and becoming a quarterback in a professional league.
“Don't distract yourself from the end goal,” Young says. “You worked hard to get here, so being able to say you graduated from the University of Texas is going to help you for the rest of your life. Our graduates are large and everywhere. So be sure to finish and stay in touch with your professors and alumni.”
Miracle Jenkins, a senior in health and social studies, already knows Young because she grew up as a college football fan, and is familiar with Young's emphasis on motivation, the discipline required when attending a prestigious university, and She said the community here has impressed her the most.
“It's an honor to be here,” Jenkins said. “(We) work hard, so it's always good on the flip side to have alumni who come and talk to us. It made me want to do the same thing someday. Ta.”
In his talk, Young shared advice on how to move forward from failure, including learning from failure, understanding the problem, and reaching out.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Young said. “The reason I still ask for help is because you never know if someone else has gone through what you went through. You might have some great points that can be helpful.”
Prerna Agarwal, marketing senior and chair of the Distinguished Speakers Committee, said she appreciated Young's candor about her failures and setbacks, which many previous speakers have not talked about. Told.
“I think the organic message he sent to his students was that there are going to be moments when you get down, but you have to pick yourself up,” Agarwal said.
Young says it's still an incredible feeling to go to different places and be recognized all over the world, and it gives him the strength to help his community.
“I want to continue to be a role model and a brother to the next young woman or young man who is trying to accomplish the same goals that I accomplished as a 40-year-old man, whatever that may be,” Young said. .