College Football HQ

Michael Vick: 'I should have won' the Heisman Trophy in 1999

The former Virginia Tech quarterback believes he should have won college football's ultimate prize for his play in the 1999 season.

James Parks

Michael Vick thinks he should have won the Heisman Trophy.
Michael Vick thinks he should have won the Heisman Trophy. / RVR Photos-Imagn Images
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Michael Vick helped revolutionize the quarterback position during his historic career at Virginia Tech, but he didn’t win a Heisman Trophy in that time.

Wisconsin back Ron Dayne won college football’s highest individual honor in the 1999 season, but Vick believes he should have heard his name called in New York instead.

“Yes, based on the way I played, I should have won,” Vick told Heisman winner Johnny Manziel on his Glory Daze podcast.

“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.”

Dayne won the Heisman Trophy in a rout, earning 586 first-place votes, beating out Vick, Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton, and Purdue quarterback Drew Brees.

Vick threw for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns with 5 interceptions while completing 59.2 percent of his passes in his first year as the starting quarterback at Virginia Tech.

He added 585 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns as one of the sport’s most electrifying runners and dual threat players at the position.

After another year, Vick was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons.

Vick is the all-time NFL leader in rushing yards among quarterbacks and was the first player at the position to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

He was named to three Pro Bowls and made one appearance in the NFC Championship Game during his NFL career.

In 2007, Vick pleaded guilty for involvement in a dog fighting ring and spent 21 months in a federal prison, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles after being released.

Following his football career, Vick became an NFL analyst with the Fox network, and this offseason it was revealed he will be the next head coach at Norfolk State.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.

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