alt=Kelsey DallasThere’s a new Young wearing No. 8 and tearing up football fields in California this fall. It’s famed quarterback Steve Young’s daughter, Summer, who’s playing wide receiver for Menlo School’s girls flag football team.
Young, who was a star for the San Francisco 49ers and BYU, is watching Summer from the sidelines as an assistant coach for her team.
In a recent interview with ABC7 News in San Francisco, the Hall of Fame quarterback described how much it means to him to watch Summer and her younger sister, Laila, who plays for the junior varsity team, embrace the sport he loves.
“I never thought one of my daughters would come to me and ask me to teach them how to throw a football. It was super important for them to play, and I love that they wanted to,” he said.
Girls flag football
Girls flag football became a sanctioned sport in California earlier this year. The NFL, as well as individual NFL teams, including the 49ers, helped make that possible by providing funds, hosting training camps and helping organize leagues, Axios reported.
Flag football is also part of high school athletic programs in a handful of other states, including Florida, Georgia and Arizona, according to a 49ers press release.
“Based on data from the National Federation of High School Associations, over 15,000 girls played high school flag football in 2021-2022, which is a 40% increase over three years,” the press release said.
Steve Young praises girls flag football
Young praised the rise of girls flag football in a recent Instagram post, in which he shared video footage from ABC7’s report on his daughters.
“Seeing the girls included in a sport they’ve always loved but didn’t always have the opportunity to play is a pretty incredible thing,” he said.
In the report, Summer explained that it was her idea to play. She and Laila didn’t feel pressured by their dad to get involved.
“I’ve always wanted to do this. I was ecstatic when the news came out that it would be a sport,” Summer said.
She added that she actually feels like she’s even more competitive than her famous father.
“I’m probably a more competitive person than he is, which says a lot. We work well together. He pushes me, and I can take it,” she said.
How many kids does Steve Young have?
Steve Young and his wife, Barbara, have four kids: two boys and two girls.
During the interview with ABC7, Young noted that his boys never showed the interest in football that his girls have now shown.
“My boys didn’t really want to (play) and that’s fine,” he said.