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Vince Young takes 1st step in comeback at Roughriders' minicamp

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In the span of a decade, Vince Young went from heralded NFL prospect, to up-and-coming star, to one of the best collegiate quarterbacks that never was, to out of football entirely.

A fifth chapter was written Tuesday, entitled "CFL hopeful."

After over two years of being out of football completely, the Saskatchewan Roughriders welcomed Young to the green and white Tuesday as the team opened up its first day of minicamp. Young is hardly the new kid on the block, being 33-years-old with six seasons of NFL playing experience under his belt, but that isn't stopping him from taking in his surroundings and enjoying a team atmosphere again.

"I’m just happy to be here, hanging out with the guys and laughing with the guys," Young told Ian Hamilton of Riderville.com. "A lot of guys gave me a lot of respect and the (defensive backs) were talking noise: 'We’re going to pick you off, V.Y.' We’re having a good time. I love that and I did miss that (after retiring)."

That retirement came back in 2014 after a failed stint with the Cleveland Browns. It wasn't Young's first failed attempt to win another job, as the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers both dismissed him after losing his spot with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The CFL isn't exactly the NFL. Different field dimensions and a different set of rules give Young more than enough to adjust to, but it appears he has a specific game plan to ready himself for when the games start to really count.

"The biggest adjustment here is you’ve got to be on time with your throws, especially when you’re going to the wide side of the field," Young said. "That goes back to your reads and progressions."

"The (biggest) thing is just making sure, when you throw those long balls, to know that you can’t put a lot of heat on it," Young added. "You’ve got to get it out there because it’s a long way."

Young's lengthy absence from active competition isn't lost on his new employers, specifically Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones and quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson. Along with the caution, however, comes confidence, as both Jones and Jackson appeared to have seen enough in day one to be excited for what lies ahead.

"At the end of the day, there were a few mistakes here and there - which is expected," Jackson said. "It’s the same thing you would expect from a young guy that’s coming in."

Jones believes Young "did a really nice job" on opening day, but wasn't surprised one bit to see him step in and begin an immediate adjustment.

"We’ve seen him play," Jones said. "The thing I like about him most is he wins football games. I look forward to seeing exactly - when the live bullets start and guys are flying around and he’s got some D-linemen around him - what he’s going to do with the football."

So how does Young feel about the first time he's stepped on a football field since 2014?

"I’m just happy to be out here competing and learning," Young said. "Tomorrow I’ve got another day and then I’ve got another day (Thursday). Today I’m going to go in and study and see what I did wrong, things I did well and the things I can get better at."

Clearly the winning attitude has not faded nearly as much as the prime of Young's career, but perhaps the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year has one more shot left in him to prove that "prime" is simply a relative term.

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