Last Sunday, the sports world witnessed the tale of two seemingly similar college football quarterbacks.
Both are talented individuals who led their respective schools to bowl-game victories. On Sunday, both made themselves available for the upcoming National Football League Draft by coming out of college before their eligibility is up.
The similarities between Texas’ Vince Young and Virginia Tech’s Marcus Vick stop right there. Abruptly.
Vince Young leaves Texas as the king of college football in 2005 after leading the Longhorns to the school’s first national championship in 35 years. Marcus Vick leaves Virginia Tech in disgrace after being kicked off the team for good for his various transgressions on and off the football field.
Vince Young proved to be a man of great leadership in leading Texas to the Promised Land. Marcus Vick proved to be a troubled young man in desperate need of some leadership.
Vince Young’s lasting image in a Texas uniform will be that last-second 14-yard touchdown run on fourth down that propelled the Longhorns from a 12-point deficit to the national title. Marcus Vick’s lasting image in a Virginia Tech uniform will be that that low-down, dirty, stomp on the back of Elvis Dumervil’s leg in the Hokies’ Gator Bowl victory over Louisville.
Vince Young had the pressure of having an entire football state of his shoulders to lead a program that had a recent history of coming up small in big games. He responded by leading Texas to wins over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State on the road, a big victory over rival Oklahoma (breaking a long losing streak to the Sooners), and finally a win over two-time national champ USC in the Rose Bowl.
Marcus Vick had similar pressure to live up to, being Mike’s younger brother and following him to the same college at the same position. He responded by succumbing to the pressure as displayed in his six-turnover effort against Miami, his disgraceful display against Louisville and his legal problems off the field.
Vince Young’s draft stock is at an all-time high. Could he be the No. 1 overall pick? Marcus Vick’s draft stock is at an all-time low. Will any franchise take a chance on him at all?
Vince Young comes out of college being compared to Michael Vick, Marcus’ older brother. How ironic? Marcus Vick in being compared to the likes of Lawrence Phillips. Oh, the humanity.
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer had the nerve to say, “I feel bad for Marcus and I feel bad for our football team,” when he learned that the university had finally come to its senses and thrown Vick out.
“I can assure you this kid is very, very hurt, his mom is very, very hurt and I’m hurting with them. It’s a disappointment.”
Beamer should feel sorry for the community of Blacksburg, Va., and the students of Virginia Tech for allowing the obviously disturbed Vick to constantly wreak havoc among the brethren.
And speaking of Vick’s mother, her attitude toward those that criticized the out-of-control athlete shows that she is part of her son’s problem.
Brenda Boddie told the Associated Press that her son “did the wrong thing” when he stomped on an opponent during the Gator Bowl, but resents portrayals of him as a “monster.”
“I cried a lot yesterday,” she said. “But we’re just going to move on and make something positive out of this, and Marcus is going to show everybody that he’s not the person a lot of people claim he is.
“Everybody does stupid stuff when they’re 19, 20, 21 years old. Everybody goes through that. Nobody’s perfect. He just did the wrong thing.”
Sorry, mom, but most 19-21 year olds have not been arrested multiple times, had sex with 15 year old girls, been caught with drugs or have a driving record that would scare Evel Knieval.
And how did Marcus Vick thank his mother for her support?
The very next day he was arrested for brandishing a pistol in a McDonald’s parking lot and now faces three more felony charges.
He has fallen from a potential first round draft pick in 2007 to almost undraftable in 2006.