CJL's chance at redemption: Marcus Vick

[Bishop of Bulltown]

Not that I have to clear up this retarded idea, but here goes:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls05/news/story?id=2282642

Updated: Jan. 7, 2006, 1:16 AM ET

Vick, dismissed by Hokies, says he will turn proAssociated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick told The Virginan-Pilot that he would enter the NFL Draft on Friday, hours after he was dismissed from the team as a result of numerous legal transgressions and his unsportsmanlike conduct in the Toyota Gator Bowl.

AP/Phil Coale

Marcus Vick, eluding a Louisville defender in the Gator Bowl, stepped on the leg of another Cardinal player who tackled him in the first half.

University president Charles Steger announced the dismissal on the same day that coach Frank Beamer met with Vick and his mother in their Hampton Roads home, the school said in a statement. Beamer informed them of the decision during the meeting.

Friday night, Marcus Vick told The Virginian-Pilot that he would turn professional. "It's not a big deal. I'll just move on to the next level, baby" he said at a Virginia Beach restaurant, the newspaper reported Friday night on its Web site. Asked if that meant he would enter the NFL draft, he said, "Yeah, definitely."

Vick, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, was suspended from school in 2004 for several legal problems. The junior came under new and intense scrutiny this week after replays showed he stomped on the left calf of Louisville All-American defensive end Elvis Dumervil during the Jan. 2 bowl.

No penalty was called on the play and Vick claimed its was accidental. He further hurt his cause by claiming to have apologized to Dumervil, the NCAA sacks leader, but the Louisville player said no such apology was ever offered. Marcus Vick Timeline

Sept. 2, 2003: Suspended for one game by coach Frank Beamer for undisclosed reason.

Feb. 17, 2004: Arrested without incident and charged with four misdemeanors -- three for allegedly allowing underage girls to have alcohol and one for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old at a January party. Released on $2,500 bond.

May 14, 2004: Convicted of three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $2,250. Found not guilty of having sex with the 15-year-old.

July 3, 2004: Charged with reckless driving and possession of marijuana after a traffic stop about 25 miles east of Richmond, Va. at 2:30 a.m. Police said he was clocked at 86 mph, 21 mph above the speed limit, and that the vehicle smelled of marijuana.

July 6, 2004: Indefinitely suspended from football team for off-field problems.

Aug. 3, 2004: Suspended from the university for the 2004 season on same day he pleads guilty to reckless driving and no contest to marijuana possession in New Kent, Va. Is fined $300, has driver's license suspended for 60 days and is placed in a first offender program on the marijuana charge, requiring that he perform 24 hours of community service, undergo drug counseling and random drug tests, and give up his driver's license for six months.

Sept. 13, 2004: In plea deal, pleads no contest to one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Receives 30-day suspended jail sentence, is fined $100, ordered to perform 24 hours of community service and stay away from the teenage girls.

Jan. 17, 2005: Cleared to rejoin football team and re-enroll at Virginia Tech.

Oct. 1, 2005: Leads No. 3 Hokies to 34-20 victory at West Virginia, and makes obscene gesture to fans who have been calling him names related to past problems throughout the game. He apologized a day later.

Dec. 17, 2005: Pulled over by police in Hampton, Va. for driving 38 mph in a 25 mph zone and driving with a suspended license.

Jan. 2, 2006: Leads Virginia Tech to a 35-24 win over Louisville in Gator Bowl. In the game, he stomped on the left calf of Cardinals All-American defensive end Elvis Dumervil, the NCAA sacks leader. Claims the incident was accidental and that he apologized to Dumervil, who denies ever receiving apology.

Jan 6, 2006: Is kicked off team at Virginia Tech for legal trouble and unsportsmanlike conduct in Gator Bowl.

Source: The Associated Press  

On Friday, it was revealed that Vick had been stopped for speeding and driving with a revoked or suspended license in Hampton on Dec. 17, Cpl. James West said. Vick's license had been taken away in August 2004 when he was cited for reckless driving and marijuana possession in New Kent County.

Steger suspended Vick from school at that time, and warned that any additional problems would effectively end his time as a member of the Hokies' football team.

"The university provided one last opportunity for Vick to become a citizen of the university and readmitted him in January 2005, with the proviso that any future problems would result in automatic dismissal from the team," Steger said Friday.

Beamer said in a statement that he was disappointed with the outcome. "We wanted what's best for this football team and Marcus," he said. "I certainly wish him the best."

School officials said in a statement that there would be no further comment until a news conference Saturday. Beamer, Steger and athletic director Jim Weaver, who said the stomping embarrassed the university, were all expected to attend.

The Virginian-Pilot said Beamer met with Vick, his mother, Brenda Boddie, and Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, at about 4 p.m. Friday. Woodward said Vick planned to issue a written statement Saturday afternoon. "The meeting, it was emotional," said Woodward. "It was not a fun meeting for anybody, but Marcus will look to the future, and we'll have something on that [saturday]."

Vick said before the Hokies' 35-24 comeback victory in the Gator Bowl that he planned to return for his senior season. Now, his choices are to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline or transfer to a Division I-AA school so he can play next season.

Vick entered this season knowing he would face hostility from opposing fans, mostly stemming from his drug arrest and another for serving alcohol to underage girls during the 2003 school year.

He said he was ready for it, but reacted to chants of "******" and "child molester" at West Virginia on Oct. 1 by making an obscene gesture in the direction of the crowd. He met with Beamer following that incident and apologized to the team.

In the ACC championship game against Florida State, he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for spiking the ball after a touchdown run with the Hokies trailing, and following the 27-22 loss, walked by reporters after the game without commenting, saying he didn't have to.

He finished that game 26-for-52 for 335 yards with one interception and a fumble near his goal line that teammate Duane Brown recovered. Vick threw one scoring pass and ran for two more touchdowns, but also was sacked six times for minus-35 yards.

On the field, he was often dazzling, but sometimes tried to do too much.

The Hokies started 8-0 and were No. 3 in the polls when they hosted Miami on Nov. 5. But Vick threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball away four times in a 27-7 loss.

This season, he was runner-up to Wake Forest's Chris Barclay as the conference's offensive player of the year, and was voted the first team quarterback on the all-conference team.

In 24 career games, the last 13 starts, Vick was 207-for-346 for 2,868 yards, 19 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also rushed 184 times for 492 yards and six TDs.

[cee]

guys, now's not the time for name-calling.. we gotta start thinking out of the box on this one.. there is a low-risk, high-reward out of this whole situation, and all it would cost us is a football scholarship for 1 year.  if vick matures and adds a couple more facets to his game, USF will be seen as a place that revives quarterbacks' careers, as well as a place to compete for a BCS bid and get an education.  if he doesnt, we cut him and move on-- it seems like everyone on here had no problem with that same quick conclusion when we nixed the whole courtney denson experiment in the beginning of the year...

marcus vick needs USF and USF needs marcus vick.  this guy could ultimately lead us to the BCS promise land.. i ask you, who was the only QB to beat the big east champion WV mountaineers?  marcus (of course).. he's done it before and he can do it again.  CJL, it's time to start earning that paycheck-- bring us Vick

[Bishop of Bulltown]

ok, stop now, seriously.

sometimes this board gets a little unbearable

[MikeG]

Marcus Vick needs an agent, not USF

just give it up already

[MikeG]

and for added measure-- USF does not need Marcus Vick and his type of attitude-- period.

[Guest BullsFans]

"It's not a big deal," Vick was quoted as telling the newspaper. "I'll just move on to the next level, baby."

If USF ever puts a loser like  Marcus Vick on the field...It wiil be the last BULL's  game I ever see....UCF's not that far up the road.

Someone needs to open up a can of Whoop A$$ on the jerk.

I'd never spend a dime to see him play in the NFL. He should be in jail.

[beastiebull]

It's pretty plain to me that Mr. Cee likes to throw out the bait and watch the feeding frenzy unfurl.   :  

Right now somewhere just North of Midtown Atlanta (Emory area) some knucklehead is laughing himself silly at you guys.

[mastertate]

marcus vick can only play NCAA division 1-a football at one institution.  Virginia Tech.  Period.  he has one year of eligibility remaining and if he transferred to any institution other than Virginia Polytechnic Institute he would have to sit out that season.  He could be put on scholarship, practice with the team but as soon as his one year of sitting out ended, his eligibility clock would run out.

cee, you would make a fine head coach....awarding scholarships to players who would never be eligible to play anyway.

[USFMikeB]

He declared for the NFL draft today, as knowledgable football fans expected.  Those fans with no knowledge of football will cry the night away blaming it on their coaches for not bringing him to their schools...

[___ Eats It]

Hey, Cee, I found your chance at redemption... Amy Smith, Emory's women's tennis coach, is looking for players.  After your disgraced exit from Emory's women's squash team (for shaving your legs during a match), this seems like a perfect fit.