NFL star quarterbacks Olympic volunteer drive
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
"I'm a gimmick," Steve Young said, describing his role as a volunteer for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games during a Church News interview.
He's a gimmick who has, among other things, a Super Bowl MVP award, an NFL Most Valuable Player award, college all-America honors and fans around the world. That is just the name recognition the Salt Lake Organizing Committee needed to head up its drive for volunteers. He is especially popular in Utah where he had a stellar career as BYU's quarterback in the early 1980s before eventually enjoying NFL stardom as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
But while he may think he's a "gimmick," his Olympic "boss," SLOC senior vice president Ed Eynon said, "He's more than that. Steve has been fabulous; he's been an all-pro for us." He said that the retired NFL star has been very enthusiastic about his Olympic job and has been willing to do anything he was asked.
As part of the strategy for recruiting volunteers, the famous athlete was the first official volunteer and is a chairman of Team 2002, a group including all Olympic volunteers as well as full-time and part-time SLOC employees.
During the Olympics he will host part of the medals ceremonies each night, give recognition to volunteers, and visit the Olympic venues to greet volunteers on the job.
He indicated that he just wanted to be part of the Olympics. "I feel like it's the greatest cultural event in the history of the state," he said, noting that volunteering is one way for "non-athletes" like himself to be a part of it.
As a member of the Church, he is proud of Utah's history and culture and understands that memories people from around the world take home from the Games will be planted by the way they are treated by residents. He said that beyond the Church, Utah has a diverse culture to be proud of and displayed at its best.
