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Ever since former Texas Longhorns quarterback Vince Young started hanging around the football program last spring while finishing his degree, there's been talk that he could eventually earn a paid position at the school. It sounds like that may be close to happening:
Former UT QB Vince Young says if his NFL career is over he will work for the University of Texas as an ambassador for the school.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) April 23, 2014
The "if" has been subject to some mockery on Twitter, as Young's NFL career certainly does appear to be over after he was released by the Green Bay Packers before the start of the 2013 season.
He hasn't played in a regular season game since 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he went 1-2 as a starter, and was released by the Buffalo Bills in 2012 before the season began.
On Wednesday, he said that he is still receiving some interest from NFL teams during an appearance with head coach Charlie Strong on the Comin' On Strong tour that stopped in Houston.
Young may not have quite given up on the dream, but he may have to before long for practical purposes -- as his financial situation is still not in a strong position after his numerous recent struggles in that regard. A filing for bankruptcy back in January was the latest development there.
So what exactly would an ambassador position entail for Young? There would probably be a fundraising part of it, glad-handing with boosters and making appearances at events and functions. It could also include time spent around the football offices when recruits are in town for visits.
Unfortunately, prospects like those in the 2016 class set to head into their junior seasons may not remember the 2006 Rose Bowl particularly clearly -- they were likely only eight or nine years old at that point.
In that regard, one of the problems that is facing Texas right now in recruiting is the fact that the national championship game against USC is such a distant memory, the timestamp for it to continue drawing in fans rapidly expiring.
Still, Young will always have a special place in the heart of Longhorns fans old enough to remember where they were on that January night when he made history and that will always be enough to make him a valuable envoy of the school.