Rookie quarterback Vince Young's return to Houston for the first time as a pro ended in a dream-like setting.
After growing up in Houston and playing down the road in Austin, Young returned to his home state and came out victorious.
Young did not disappoint the family members and all the fans in the stands wearing the number ten jersey.
“He stayed focused all week, never got caught up in anything," Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said. "He knew that we had to play, the only thing he could do was to stay focused and prepare himself to play the game and then go out and play and now he can enjoy it.”
Young went 19-of-29 passing for 218 yards and one interception. Young's legs were the difference on Sunday agaisnt the Texans, as he rushed seven times for 86 yards. A 12.1 yard per carry average, the rushing total is a career high for Young.
Young could not of picked a better time to rip off his longest rush as a pro. In overtime on a third and fourteen, Young took the snap from the shotgun, slipped through the middle of the pocket, and raced for 39 yards virtually untouched for the game winning touchdown. Young now has five rushing touchdowns this season.
“He has a tremendous will that you didn’t realize at draft time," Offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “He sits in that pocket, he’s not a guy that’s going to run out of there like some quarterbacks do, he sits in that pocket big and tall, he’ll make the throws when he has to make him and then he runs."
Chow said it was Young's determination on the last play that lifted the Titans to victory.
“He was something, we had guys open on the final play, he said, hey, I’m going to take this on my shoulders and he took off and it was nice to see.”
The former Longhorn is now 6-4 as the starting quarterback, sweeping his hometown team that passed on him in April's draft.
“That was a great play call by our offensive staff on the last play, that’s what he can do, he can make things happen," Fisher said. "We’ve seen nothing but steady improvement from Vince over the last month, we still have a ways to go but it’s great to be part of a decent little winning streak right now.”
The fourth quarter comeback marks the third consecutive come from behind victory and gives Young three game winning drives in his short career.