Newsmaker: MVP: Most Valuable Perspective

Steve Young, Latter-day Saint quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers football team in the United States, was elated when his team recently won Super Bowl XXIX: San Francisco 49, San Diego 26. Unanimously voted the game’s most valuable player, Steve had broken a Super Bowl record with six touchdowns and was the leading rusher in the game.

“I’ve achieved my football dream,” he told his mother, Sherry. And then he paused. “But if we would have lost, I could still be happy.”

That perspective is a Steve Young hallmark. After a successful stint as quarterback at Brigham Young University, Steve has played pro football for the past decade. After a handful of difficult years finding his niche, he has won four passing titles in his four years as a starting quarterback in the National Football League, setting several records for passing efficiency and completion percentages. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player two of the last three years.

Steve works at keeping his priorities in proper focus. He teaches a Primary class in his Provo ward. He tries to attend the temple on Tuesdays, the team’s day off. He’s established a charity called Forever Young, and last summer he graduated from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.

“The gospel has been an absolute anchor in my life,” says Steve. “It continually provides me with the foundation with which I make all the decisions in my life.”