By John Crumpacker
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

SANTA CLARA -- Steve Young is probably one of the very few players in the NFL who could spell "epiphany" if hit over the head by one.

One did.

As best as Young can figure, it happened on Saturday, June 3 as he was off on a jog around his Palo Alto neighborhood, specifically in the vicinity of Webster and Lytton streets. That's when he was visited by a flash of insight as to which direction his life should take.

"It just settled on me," Young said Monday after announcing his retirement from the 49ers and professional football. "It was the first time I spoke the words, "This is it.' "

Until then, Young had been mentally wrestling with what he said were three career options: retire, return to the 49ers or play elsewhere, specifically Denver or Seattle.

"How you leave the game is important," he said.

Young, 38, leaves the game after 15 seasons as the highest-rated passer in NFL history, a two-time league most valuable player and MVP of Super Bowl XXIX. He also leaves as a newly married man and expectant father. But don't overestimate the impact his wife Barbara had on his decision to retire.

It might well have been no impact at all.

"There were times I said, "Barb, I'm healthy, let's go play some ball.' She said, "Let's do it.' If you're looking for a fundamental factor, it works the other way sometimes," he said.

Rather than his wife worrying about her husband's history of concussions (seven in his career as a 49er), Young said it was his concern over the direction the 49ers are heading that nudged him into retirement a millionaire many times over.

"Yes, it obviously was one of the reasons I did retire, (that) and the nature of what can happen on the field," he said following his formal press conference in the team's locker room. "The argument became rhetorical because of the way things were going (with the 49ers). The team is in a new place. The needs are immense on this team. Was it a factor?

"Absolutely it was a factor. This is where the team is and I'm retiring. That's part of the mix . . . Is it the right time to retire? Yes."

In other words, this soon-to-be 39-year-old ex-quarterback did not relish his role as the leader of a team in the throes of rebuilding after a 4-12 season in 1999. That will be left to Jeff Garcia at the quarterback position and a diminishing core of veterans like Jerry Rice, Ken Norton, Ray Brown and Derrick Deese.

"It's a celebration for me of 15 years," Young said. "I'm not forlorn. I finally realized you did what you set out to do. It was right there in front of me."

What Young did in his eight-plus years as San Francisco's starting quarterback was something many people thought impossible. He succeeded Joe Montana in 1991 and crafted his own legend, if not myth. He was named the league's most valuable player in 1992 and '94 and led the 49ers to a Super Bowl championship on his own merits.

As heir to Montana's considerable legend, Young compiled a 91-33 won-loss record. In 10-plus years, Montana was 100-39. Young leaves the game with a slightly higher passer rating than Montana.

It's axiomatic in sports that one should never succeed a legend, be it a player or a coach. Young managed to do it in a style unique to him despite early criticism of fans and the skepticism of his teammates. While the starting quarterback he led the 49ers to 14 playoff games, four NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.

"Mike Shanahan (coach of the Denver Broncos) said this week that he is one of the top five quarterbacks of all time," retired 49ers tight end Brent Jones said. "I definitely agree. But I know one thing, none of those other four, whoever they may be, followed a Hall-of-Famer, and that, to me, is the single greatest accomplishment that I have seen in sports."

Of those difficult transitional years from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another likely one, Young said, "I don't wish it on anybody to try to do something like that. The standards are so high it's incredible. It was finishing school for me as a quarterback.

"Many people thought it would be crazy for me to stay in San Francisco," he added. "But I was in love with the city, with the team, with the way they played offense. And I was also in love with the idea of seeing how good I could get."

Although Montana saw Young as a rival for his position as 49ers quarterback in the late 1980's, Young said their relationship while they were teammates was never adversarial or acrimonious.

"We're fine," Young said. "We see each other. I'm appreciative of his (recent) kind comments. There's never been issues other than the competitive ones, which are natural."

As many as 200 people crammed into the 49ers' locker room in Santa Clara for Monday morning's announcement by Young. The guest list was left to him and included his wife Barbara, parents Grit and Sherri Young, brothers Tom, Mike and Jimmy, sister Melissa, agent Leigh Steinberg, former teammates Rice, Jones and Harris Barton, Cal coach Tom Holmoe, former coaches LaVell Edwards and Shanahan, former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, current owner Denise DeBartolo York, former 49ers club president Carmen Policy and his wife Gail, coach Steve Mariucci and several of Young's college teammates at BYU.

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, who was involved in a minicamp with the Seahawks, and Carolina coach George Seifert, who was vacationing in Mexico, were also invited but could not attend. John York, husband of DeBartolo York, also could not attend.

In a press conference that stretched beyond 11/2 hours, Young thanked more people than a dozen Academy Award winners. He became emotional at times but did not turn the podium into a depository for tears of joy or sadness as he gave credit to everyone from his pee wee football coach, Jack Schlagel ("He loved football but he loved people more"), to his last coach, Mariucci ("I have never had more fun throwing a football than for coach Mariucci").

"I just prayed that I would not start crying," Young said. "Clearly, I can cry and I will cry. But there's something about seeing someone cry on TV."

Instead, the crying was left not to his wife or his parents or his siblings but to his favorite receiver, Rice, the recipient of their shared NFL record of 85 touchdown passes.

"Today is a tough day," Rice said. "You try not to get emotional but I have had the opportunity to play with this guy. It is real hard. I woke up this morning . . . about 4:30 and I think it really hit me that this guy is going to retire. We had such a great chemistry and a great relationship."

Mariucci, who delighted in Young's intelligence, his idiosyncrasies and his playing style the last three seasons, presented the retiring quarterback with a framed game jersey and lightened the mood of the proceedings by announcing that his ancient shoulder pads and rib pads would be retired, along with the U.S. Postal bin used for his incoming fan mail.

"These mini-me shoulder pads . . . will never be worn again by anybody," Mariucci said. "They are probably not legal anymore. We're going to have a 49er Hall of Fame and they will be there."

On a serious note, Mariucci said, "I had the privilege of sharing the same sidelines with Steve Young. He has made us all better coaches. I was privileged to be around for those times."

So what's next for Steve Young, former quarterback? First of all, he could live to be 6,000 years old and still have plenty of money.

Commentator on ABC's "Monday Night Football," perhaps?

"At the moment, it is not an immediate plan, no," he said.

Politics, maybe?

"My wife feels really strongly that that wouldn't be a good thing right now."

Of his post-football plans, Young said he will devote his time to his charitable endeavor, the Forever Young Foundation, and strive to have its programs endowed while also working for the Internet start-up company he founded with three other investors.

It's called Found, Inc., and it provides on-line consumers with an opportunity to shop at local retail outlets and pick up orders on-site or have them delivered. The company employs about 120 people and is located in downtown San Francisco and has Sun MicroSystems and Informix as investment partners.

"You can check out real-time inventory and virtually shop the store, pick it up at the store or have it delivered," said Young, who is chairman of the board of Found, Inc. "It's a cool Internet company because it allows people to shop in the traditional way, like going to the store down the street."

In retirement, Young will continue to live in Palo Alto. He also has a home in Provo, Utah, and spends time in the Phoenix area, where his wife is from.

"I think that sense of spirituality . . . clearly, that was how I made the decision," he said. "That is how it settled on me more than anything."

It's called an epiphany, Steve. Go ahead and spell what flashed in front of you while on that jog through the neighborhood.