49ers to retire number of QB Young

Sep 26, 2008 - 1:00 AM SANTA CLARA, California (Ticker) - The San Francisco 49ers will retire former star quarterback Steve Young's jersey on October 5.

Young, the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXIX, will be the 11th player in franchise history to have his number retired.

"Steve Young is an important part of the 49ers history and tradition," said 49ers owner John York. "He combined talent, character and a tremendous work ethic to become an incomparable performer and champion on the field. He was a model professional, and he influenced many of the younger players with his dedication.

"Our players today and for years to come will look up to Steve. We are excited to pay tribute to his achievements with this special halftime ceremony in front of our fans."

Young, who spend the early part of his career with San Francisco as the backup to the legendary Joe Montana, carved out his own niche with the franchise.

He was a two-team league MVP (1992, 1994) and made seven consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1992-98.

The most accurate passer in league history with a 96.8 quarterback rating, Young was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Young also holds the record for most touchdown passes in a Super Bowl with six en route to earning MVP honors.

"This could be the greatest honor of all," Young said. "Your team is going to retire your number forever, so it helped me put things in context for all the things we enjoyed, and the title. I'm grateful to the 49ers for being willing to do that."

The lefthander's 43 rushing touchdowns are the most by a quarterback in history, and he also owns the league record for the most consecutive 300-yard games with six (1998).