TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 A SEASON TO REMEMBER 4 2 THE EARLY DAYS 14 3 BEAMER BALL 20 4 DUAL THREAT 26 5 MOVING TO THE COAST 32 6 A NEW COACH 36 TIMELINE 42 QUICK STATS 44 QUOTES ANECDOTES 45 GLOSSARY 46 MORE INFORMATION 47 ONLINE RESOURCES 47 INDEX 48 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 48
Michael Vick burst onto the scene with the Hokies in 1999
1 A SEASON TO REMEMBER MICHAEL VICK BECAME THE STORY OF THE VIRGINIA TECH SEASON IN 1999 HIS DYNAMIC RUNNING AND PASSING SKILLS MADE HIM THE FOCUS OF HIGHLIGHT SHOWS FROM COAST TO COAST BUT HE WAS STILL A MYSTERY TO MOST HOKIES FANS WHEN THE SEASON BEGAN Virginia Tech was ranked No 13 in the country when Vick made his collegiate debut in the season opener a 47 0 victory over James Madison The 19-year-old had already spent one year on campus in Blacksburg Virginia He was a redshirt That meant he could practice but not play in games The next fall Vick was eager to show what he had learned It didn’t take long for Vick to get people talking He rushed for three touchdowns against James Madison in the first half On the last one he did an eye-popping flip into the end zone He sprained an ankle and had to sit out the rest of the game But Hokies fans were excited about his potential
