Marcus Vick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marcus Vick

Vick (far right) with Virginia Tech in 2005
No. 16, 7
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1984-03-20) March 20, 1984 (age 40) Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	Warwick (Newport News, Virginia)
College:	Virginia Tech
Undrafted:	2006
Career history
Miami Dolphins (2006)
Career highlights and awards
Paul Torgersen Award (2002)
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 1 Receptions: 0 Touchdowns: 0
Player stats at PFR

Marcus Deon Vick (born March 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech, following the career path of his older brother Michael. However, several legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play led to Vick being dismissed from the school in 2006. Vick joined the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) the same year as an undrafted free agent, but was released after appearing in only one game. Since the end of his playing career, he has continued to face various legal troubles.

Early years

Marcus Deon Vick was born to Brenda Vick and Michael Boddie on March 20, 1984, in Newport News, Virginia. His parents married approximately two years later, by which time they had four children, Christina (Marcus' older sister), Michael (Marcus' older brother), Courtney, and Marcus. Although their parents had wed, the children decided to continue using their mother's surname.

Vick grew up in Ridley Circle, a public housing project in the crime-ridden East End neighborhood of Newport News. During his younger years, his father traveled for work a lot and his mother worked relatively low wage service jobs, including driving a school bus and working at K-Mart.

Vick attended Warwick High School. At Warwick, he was coached by Tommy Reamon, a former collegiate and professional football player who had been instrumental in the development of future NFL quarterbacks Aaron Brooks (his older cousin) and Marcus' brother, Michael.

College career

Recruitment to Virginia Tech

Heading into his senior year of high school, Vick was one of the country's top quarterback prospects. Although his brother had taken Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia within one game of a national championship and despite Michael's close relationship with Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, Marcus did not seem sold on attending Tech.

North Carolina State, Virginia, Tennessee, and Miami all had scholarship offers on the table. Marcus was seriously considering NC State and Virginia Tech. By September, it was clear that Marcus was considering several schools, mostly because of concerns about the Hokies' scheme and its ability to prepare him for the NFL.

2002–2003

While Vick arrived at Tech with great fanfare, he did not play as a true freshman. Beamer redshirted him, and he was a member of the dress squad for every game. During his freshman year, he ran a forty during spring max testing. Vick threw five touchdown (TD) passes during spring scrimmages and added another in the Maroon-White game. He was 6-for-7 passing for 95 yards and one touchdown during one scrimmage, and turned in a 57-yard run in another scrimmage. He hit 10-of-15 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Maroon-White game. For performances such as these, he was awarded the Paul Torgersen Award for the top offensive newcomer.

In 2003, Vick played in seven games, splitting time with Bryan Randall. The highlight of his season came during a 31–7 upset win over #2 Miami. Despite completing only one pass, Vick's exceptional running ability and the outstanding play of Tech's defense contributed to one of the biggest wins in the history of Virginia Tech football. In Virginia Tech's loss in the Insight Bowl to the California Golden Bears, Vick racked up 82 receiving yards, including one touchdown reception.

2004

Prior to the 2004 collegiate season, Vick had several run-ins with the law which resulted in misdemeanor convictions. According to an article in The Washington Post, the convictions triggered a review by Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver under the school's Comprehensive Action Plan, which was put in place in 1997 after 22 arrests involving 19 football players during a 15-month period.

In the summer of 2004, Vick was charged with reckless driving. As part of a plea agreement in that case, Vick was required to give up his Virginia driver's license for six months.

As a result of the incidents, Virginia Tech suspended him from school for the fall semester of 2004. School officials also said that he would lose that year of eligibility.

Marcus Vick was reinstated to the school and the football team under specific guidelines that warranted immediate dismissal from the team for further transgressions.

2005

Beamer initially announced that Vick would enter the 2005 season as the team's third-string quarterback, but he quickly won the starting role after impressive spring practices and scrimmages. 2005 was Vick's most successful season, which saw the Hokies contending for a national championship and culminating in an 11–2 record, an ACC Coastal Division title, an appearance in the inaugural ACC Championship Game, and a win in the 2006 Gator Bowl.

The 2005 season, however, saw more controversy surrounding Vick. On October 1, 2005, Vick angered fans in Morgantown, West Virginia with a display of his middle finger to the crowd during the game at West Virginia University. Vick later apologized. During the 2006 Gator Bowl on January 2, he stomped on the leg of University of Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil was in a defenseless position trying to get back up after a play. Vick claimed the incident was accidental and asserted he apologized to Dumervil after the game; Dumervil said that no apology was made.

The referee working the game apologized for missing Vick's stomp, saying he would have thrown Vick out of the game if he had seen it.

Vick lost his privilege to drive a motor vehicle in Virginia as the result of traffic convictions, including reckless driving. On December 17, 2005, he was charged in Hampton, Virginia with speeding, and for the second time, with the more serious misdemeanor charge of driving on a suspended or revoked license. These offenses brought the total of his traffic arrests to nine in Virginia while he was enrolled at Virginia Tech.

Dismissal from Virginia Tech

In 24 career games at Virginia Tech, Vick threw for 2,868 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while also running 184 times for 492 yards and six touchdowns. However, during the same period, he was charged with nine traffic offenses, as well as convictions for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

On January 6, 2006, Virginia Tech announced his permanent dismissal from its football program "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play".

In response to being thrown off the team, Vick has been quoted as saying, "It's not a big deal. I'll just move on to the next level, baby."

College football statistics

Professional career

Vick declared his eligibility for the NFL draft on January 7, 2006. After the 2006 NFL Draft, he told ESPN's Michael Smith that he considered himself a better quarterback than Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler.

Despite pre-draft speculation that Vick could go as high as the third round, he went undrafted, becoming an unrestricted free agent who could sign a contract with any team. Many of the NFL's scouts questioned his attitude and his ability to avoid future troubles on and off the field. Vick attended a Miami Dolphins rookie free agent minicamp after the draft and was subsequently signed by the Dolphins to a free agent contract for league minimum pay as a "wide receiver/quarterback/return specialist".

The Dolphins released him on September 2, 2006, to reach the regular season roster limit but re-signed Vick two days later, assigning him to the practice squad. On October 17, 2006, the Dolphins signed him as a wide receiver/kick returner/quarterback. He was moved from the practice squad to the active roster for the team's Week 7 game versus the Green Bay Packers. He was listed as the No. 3 "emergency" quarterback on the depth chart. His first action in the NFL was a regular season game against the New York Jets on December 25, 2006. He played the wide receiver position for the 4th quarter but had no recorded receptions. After the season, his contract expired and the Dolphins opted not to re-sign him.