Is Percy Harvin Just A Watered Down Titus Young?

Oct 28, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young (16) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field. Detroit Lions defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

There is no questioning his talent, but Percy Harvin is building a reputation for big locker room problems.  Is he just a less volatile Titus Young?

Former Detroit Lions receiver had clear mental problems

For those who might not remember (or prefer not to) Titus Young was an athletically gifted wide receiver taken in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft by the Detroit Lions.  His impressive speed and prowess for getting open were what made him such a big draw, especially given the opportunity to play across from Calvin Johnson.  However, even before he joined the team there were serious reservations about his maturity.

During his days at Boise State he missed workouts and argued with coaches.  He earned suspensions for violating team rules.  It got so bad in fact that in 2008 he was suspended the rest of an entire season.  Then during the draft process he was kicked out of a training facility for a “poor attitude.”  However it wasn’t until he joined the Lions that people really started to see he had problems.  As his rookie year progressed he became quieter off the field and more erratic on it, drawing bad penalties and lining up in the wrong spots on purpose.  He was also suspended for two weeks when he reportedly punched teammate Louis Delmas.  Eventually the team was forced to release him.

Young continued to deteriorate and was soon out of the NFL entirely, landing himself in legal trouble.  He is currently under arrest on five counts of battery.

Harvin showing similar issues with Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks

What makes that story so intriguing is how much of a parallel it runs to the career of Percy Harvin.  Like Young, he’s a shorter receiver known for his athleticism and game-changing speed.  However, also like Young, he has a growing history of creating problems in the locker room.  During his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings he had a reputation for speaking out in the media, whether it be about the coaches or the quarterbacks.  Teammates viewed him as selfish and confrontational.  So they eventually traded him to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for draft picks.

Though he played sparingly last season, Harvin was a key component of the Hawks’ Super Bowl thrashing of Denver.  Initially it looked like he had matured under a new coaching staff.  Instead it soon came to light that the Seahawks were just better at covering up the problems.  Harvin reportedly had anger problems right from the beginning and got into a physical altercation with former Seahawks receiver Golden Tate, punching him in the face.  It got to the point where the team felt he was on the fast track to self-destruction and decided to ship him somewhere else.

Will Percy Harvin end up hitting rock bottom like Titus Young has?  Probably not since he seems at least slightly more stable.  Still, it’s clear the wide receiver has one strike left.