Heed your advice, Steve
San Francisco CA Examiner 14Oct99 S2
By Gwen Knapp: Examiner Columnist

MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA -- In hour-long interview, that was conducted by student journalists from around the country via fax, phone and the Internet, Steve Young was gracious, funny and the ideal star of an interactive, multimedia, satellite-hookup event. The interview with conducted with 25 people in the the little auditorium on the Sun campus where Sun Microsystems coordinated the event.

With Internet and television coverage, the organizers estimated that five million people took part in the interview. Outside the building a cluster of reports waited for Young. They had spoken to him briefly beforehand about his neurologist's decision to keep him out of the 49ers' game on Sunday against Carolina.

Young paused frequently when he spoke, which caused many to think it was symptomatic of the concussion that has kept him sidelined since September, 27. One reporter said, "He talks like that a lot." Young has always been known for his sharp verbal style.

One student phone call asked Young whether he would ever play for the Niners again. He hesitantly responded, "This is not really the forum for it." "But I want to get healthy and play again." This was probably the shortest answer Young gave all night. He requested to be given the cut-it-off sign if he went on too long.

He spoke freely of his high school years and how he withstood peer pressure. The girl he took to the prom, he confided, had gone on to become Miss USA. "She was a goofball, too." He said that the peer pressure got easier as he got older. It was OK to be different. Young has written a children's book that he wanted to title, "I'm Not As Weird As Steve Young," but published it as "Forever Young" instead.

Young explained, "Your body is a temple, literally a temple, and you need to treat it with respect." Over the next few weeks, it is hoped that Young will follow his own advice.