Report: Titans' Young mentioned suicide

The Tennessee Titans called police Monday night for help searching for Vince Young because his therapist told coach Jeff Fisher the quarterback mentioned suicide several times before driving away from his home with a gun.

Both Fisher and Young have said what happened Monday night was overblown by the media. But the supplemental report filed Tuesday by Nashville police showed that Fisher was worried about the quarterback after the call from Young's therapist.

"I asked him, `What made her worry about him?' Lt. Andrea Swisher wrote. "He stated, `His mood, his emotions, he wants to quit, and he mentioned suicide several times.' He went on to state that he left the house with a gun."

The Titans declined to comment on details of the report.

The Nashville City Paper obtained the report through a public records request and first reported the details Friday afternoon on its Web site.

Nashville police had been criticized locally for what appeared to be an immediate and strong response to help with a star NFL player. The Titans and Fisher had only said they acted on the information they were given, and Fisher has refused to say what those concerns were.

"Given the totality of the circumstances, the police department continues to believe that it acted responsibly and appropriately in this situation," police spokesman Don Aaron said Friday.

Young seemed happy and laughed a bit Thursday when he discussed the past few days with reporters. He blamed his mother for overreacting and the media for making too much of nothing.

"Now I am OK. I was never depressed. I just hurt a little bit ... When it happens again, I'll know how to handle it," Young said.

Concerns over Young's mental state began last Sunday when he was booed heavily after throwing his second interception in the Titans' 17-10 victory over Jacksonville, and he didn't look like he wanted to go back into the game for the next possession.

He went on the field after Fisher pulled off his headset and talked with Young. But the quarterback was hit four plays later. Fisher has only ruled Young out for Sunday's game at Cincinnati.

However, Young talked with his therapist Monday and visited with Fisher at his home. The coach told him to go take his MRI exam to determine the extent of the damage to his knee, but Young rescheduled the test for Tuesday.

Then he sped off from his home without a phone.

The Titans' head of security notified police around 7:30 p.m. that he had a player "going off," and Fisher was in his truck when he saw Nashville police in the parking lot at LP Field writing a report on a separate incident.

Young's manager, Mike Mu, arrived at the stadium and told police he had tried to follow Young when the quarterback left his home. But Mu said he couldn't keep up with Young on Interstate 65 despite driving 90 mph.

Fisher connected police with Sheila Peters, the clinical psychologist who had met with Young earlier Monday. It was then that Young used the word suicide in conversations with her.

During the search for Young, Peters arranged for an evaluation by employees from a psychiatric hospital in Nashville. Then Fisher heard from Young's agent that the quarterback was safe and at an apartment with a female friend.

The agent, Major Adams, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Young had been watching football and eating chicken wings with a male friend during the four hours people were searching for the quarterback.

Police arranged for crisis negotiators and SWAT officers to be on hand. They searched Young for weapons when he arrived at the Titans' headquarters around 11:30 p.m. They only found an unloaded handgun in the glovebox of his Mercedes.

Tennessee law allows an individual to possess an unloaded weapon provided there is no ammunition with it in the car.

"He was allowed to talk to his therapist and then he was released," the police report stated.

Young won't be making the trip with the Titans to Cincinnati. Fisher said Friday injured players stay home to continue treatment.