Vince Young is mourning the loss of a woman who played a major role in his life long before he became a Texas Longhorns icon or an NFL quarterback. Young shared an emotional tribute to his grandmother, Bessie P. Young, who passed away on September 5.
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“Rest in peace Mommy Bessie P. Young. Thanks for your love and support through the years! Thanks for the home-cooked meals, and thanks for sharing your family with me! Love you 🕊🕊🙏🏿😢💯🤎” Young posted on Instagram.
The loss carries particular weight because Young has spoken extensively about how much his grandmother, who also went by her nickname Bonnie King, meant to him. During an interview following Texas’ 2005 Rose Bowl victory, Young explained that she had been there for him during some of the most difficult parts of his childhood.
“Well, my grandma, she means a whole lot to me. She used to have to work at the graveyard shift, go in real late at night and then come home in the morning and take us to school, cook breakfast. She’s done a whole lot,” Young said.
That history helps explain why the brief tribute carries so much meaning. Young grew up in Houston’s Fourth Ward and Hiram Clarke neighborhoods, with his mother, Felicia Young, and grandmother helping raise him while his father was largely absent. His grandmother’s role was not simply that of a relative who watched over him occasionally. Young described her as someone who stepped in and helped keep his childhood moving when his family situation was unstable.
Young’s relationship with his mother also adds another layer to the story. Felicia worked long hours as a home health aide while facing personal challenges during Young’s childhood. In a 2005 interview, Young spoke openly about how his grandmother stepped in to help raise him during that difficult period.
“Just to see my grandmother take over and raise us well until mama could get a point in her life out of her system, she did a great thing,” Young said. He also said his mother eventually got clean and became a stronger presence in his life.
The transformation in that relationship became an important part of Young’s story. His mother later stood beside him during one of the biggest moments of his football life. After the Tennessee Titans selected Young third overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, he brought Felicia to the podium and explained why.
“We’re very close,” Young said. “We’ve been through a lot together, and I feel like the world should see where I came from. That’s why I brought her up here.”
His grandmother had also been part of the football journey itself. Before Young became the quarterback who led Texas past USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, she was one of the people encouraging him from the stands and from home. When asked in January 2006 which woman in his life was the biggest football fan, Young immediately answered, “My grandma. She’s a coach.” Asked why, he laughed and explained, “She always asks a certain question: why did I do that, why did I do that.”
That relationship is especially poignant considering how different Young’s life could have looked. At age seven, he nearly died after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle in Houston. His mother later recalled being terrified that she could lose him. Instead, the boy who survived that accident eventually became one of Texas’ defining players, winning Rose Bowl MVP honors and becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Young’s tribute reaches back to the family who stood by him before the championships and NFL career. While details about Bessie P. Young’s passing remain private, his memories show just how much she meant to him and the role she played throughout his life.