Virginia Tech Legend Mike Vick Speaks to Hokies Ahead of Game with West Virginia

Who better to get a team pumped up for a prime-time game against a rival than the most recognizable player in the history of the program?

West Virginia’s opponent Thursday night was blessed with just that when the current Virginia Tech players were blessed with Michael Vick speaking to the team. The Hokies head coach Brent Pry tweeted about Vick’s presence with a picture of himself with the former Heisman candidate turned NFL All-Pro.

”Great to have Mike back, gave a great message to our team! This Hokie brotherhood is special,” Pry said in the tweet.

Great to have Mike back, gave a great message to our team! This Hokie brotherhood is special. 🦃#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/Ehu0OkQEqC

— Brent Pry (@CoachPryVT) September 21, 2022

The image of Vick running all over the field likely haunts WVU fans. Vick won the Black Diamond Trophy for Virginia Tech in both of his two starts against the Mountaineers. In 1999, Vick led the Hokies on a game winning drive late in the 4th quarter and then ran for 288 total yards in a 48-20 blowout victory the next year.

Vick played two college seasons at Virginia Tech after sitting in 1998 as a redshirt freshman. Once Vick took over as the starting quarterback in 1999, he helped put Virginia Tech on the college football map. He threw for 3,279 and ran for 1,216 in his two collegiate seasons. He led the Hokies to a BCS National Championship Game appearance following an undefeated 11-0 regular season in ‘99 and finished third in the Heisman race that year. Vick did was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year.

The athletic sensation that Vick was in college earned him the honor of being the number one overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. In the NFL, he made 4 Pro Bowls and owns the record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback.