If you listen to Steve Young talk about his progression as a QB, he will tell you that he didn't have a clue when he came to BYU. Instead, it was watching and learning from McMahon that taught him how to throw the ball. McMahon was likely the best pure passer that we have had at BYU.

It is also not fair to compare Young and McMahon's pro careers. First, McMahon had a knee injury at BYU that really hurt his mobility. Then, he was further beat up playing for the Bears before Ditka whipped them into a good team. By contrast, Young was able to get traded to, what was then, the best franchise in football. He had advantages that gave him a better career by playing at SF, as opposed to what McMahon had in Chicago.