Michael Vick is stepping into his coaching era at Norfolk State but he took a trip down memory lane in a recent podcast appearance on the Glory Daze podcast hosted by former Texas A&M star and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Like Manziel, Vick was a game-changer for the Virginia Tech Hokies and Vick believes that he should’ve also won a Heisman trophy.
Vick specifically belives that in 1999 he should’ve won the highest individual honor in college football after a resounding season that saw Virginia Tech make an appearance in the National Championship. Wisconsin back Ron Dayne won the award instead as Vick finished third place.
“Yes, based on the way I played, I should have won,” He said. “I just know I was an underclassman. I was a freshman [and] Ron Dayne paid his dues. He was, like, destined for it. Those guys probably deserved it more than me being a freshman, just breaking through, because they had been consistent guys.”
Vick redshirted in 1998 but quickly became one of the nation’s top talents in 1999. As the Hokies’ quarterback, he led the team to an 11-0 record and a berth in the BCS national title game against Florida State, where he orchestrated an impressive 21-point comeback before falling 46-29. His third-place Heisman trophy finish was the highest for a Virginia Tech player after passing for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns. That season, he earned All-America honors from The Sporting News and Football News, leading the Hokies to an undefeated regular season.
Although he didn’t win the Heisman that season, he still went on to have a transcendent career as a quarterback for Virginia Tech. During Vick’s two seasons as the starting quarterback, Virginia Tech achieved a remarkable 22-2 overall record, secured a Big East title, and made a national championship appearance in his redshirt freshman season.
He still holds Virginia Tech records for highest yards-per-completion average (20.4) and highest yards-per-attempt average for both a season (12.0 in 1999) and a career (9.79 from 1999-2000). Vick followed up in 2000 by finishing sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, cementing his status as one of the program’s all-time greats.
Although he didn’t win the Heisman trophy, Michael Vick is set to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in the Fall. He also has stepped up to the task as an HBCU football coach, looking to bring Norfolk State to sustained success that the football program hasn’t seen since joining the FCS in 1997.
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