Steve Young to speak at ASU law school convocation

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and BYU law school graduate Steve Young will address the 2014 graduating class of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University during the law school Convocation Ceremony on May 13.

Young, a three-time Super Bowl champion and the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XXIX, attended law school while playing professional football for the San Francisco 49ers, graduating from the Brigham Young University, J. Rueben Clark Law School in 1994. He currently serves as a managing director of the private equity firm Huntsman Gay Global Capital and provides pre-game and post-game commentary for ESPN’s "Monday Night Football."

Douglas Sylvester, ASU law school dean, greatly appreciates the community support that resulted in Young’s appearance.

“Getting someone like Steve isn’t easy,“ Sylvester says. “It takes the support of very committed community leaders, and in this case, we are extremely grateful to Paul Gilbert of Beus Gilbert for his tireless work on our behalf on this and other matters.”

Young will speak to ASU law students about persistence, success and community service. In addition to biding his time as Hall of Famer Joe Montana’s apprentice when he first joined the 49ers, Young initially served as backup quarterback to Jim McMahon at BYU. Once he became a starter,  however, he set records for both teams. He was a first-team All American at BYU and was selected for the NFL Pro Bowl seven times. Young was inducted into both the NCAA and NFL Halls of Fame.

While playing for the 49ers, Young worked out a deal with the BYU law school to complete his degree in six years. "The biggest issue was me playing professional football and showing up trying to be a regular law student. That was interesting," he says. "In 1994, I finished the Super Bowl and went straight to law school the next day."

He has committed to a lifetime of community service, including current work helping children through his Forever Young Foundation and serving as the national spokesperson for Children’s Miracle Network.

“We are very pleased to have such an inspirational person as Steve Young speak to our graduates,” says Sylvester. “He is an outstanding individual, as well as an excellent athlete. I’m confident our students will be eager to hear how he managed to play pro football and study law at the same time. His commitment to community service and excellence make him a wonderful role-model for new lawyers."