NFL legend Steve Young spent the first two years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before stepping into elite status with the San Francisco 49ers.
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During that time, Young said at least once that an official threw a flag in hopes of setting up the quarterback with his daughter, who happened to attend BYU (Young's alma mater), via SI's MMQB:
"We play the Colts at home. Partway through the second quarter I'm in the huddle when the head referee taps me on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he says. I step away from the huddle. "Hey, listen, my daughter's going to BYU," he whispers. Next thing I know he starts trying to convince me that I should meet his daughter. "I'd like you to take her out," he says.
I cannot believe this. We're in the middle of a game! "Oh, okay," I said. "What's her name?'' He tells me and I return to the huddle ... Late in the game we're down 31-23 and I'm trying to mount a comeback. I scramble out of the pocket and take a brutal hit. It causes me to fumble just before the whistle blows to stop the play. I am lying on the ground when the defense recovers the loose ball, all but sealing our defeat. Suddenly out of nowhere a yellow flag lands next to me. The referee whose daughter is headed to BYU calls a personal foul on the defense. First down, Tampa Bay. I get up and brush myself off. Then the ref walks past me and whispers she likes Italian food."
Young and the Bucs would go on to lose, 31-23. The quarterback threw for 251 yards, one touchdown and two picks. He also rushed for 49 yards and a score.
We don't, however, know if he ever did take out that girl for some Italian. Young was traded for a second- and fourth-round draft choice to make room for Vinny Testaverde in 1987.
At the time, Young inked the largest deal in NFL history, which the LA Times estimated was at $40 million.
(H/T Uproxx)
