Camparisons of true freshman playing can not include Vick. IIRC 1998 was a bad year fot VT QBs, and Beamer came within 9 yards of pulling Vick's 'shirt. Al Clark was hurt most of the year, and I think that's the year Nick Sorenson was moved from DB to QB. We got creamed in the Gator Bowl 42-3 by UNC. I was there, and I know I said to myself, "Thank God, it's over." 7-5 season, worst during Beamer's magnificent run.

The reason Beamer did not play Vick as a true freshman was because he promised Vick's high school coach, Tommy Reamon, that he would not play Vick his first year. And Beamer kept his promise, even though during Vick's first year Beamer could have sorely used him. And given the fact that Vick was such a superb athlete as proven over and over during the MNC run season, things would have had to be better if Vick had played in 1998. Although maybe in 1999 he would not have surprised the world, and teams would have been more prepared for him. But how in the world do you prepare for Michael Vick?

Beamer's promise to Coach Reamon, and the near necessity of playing Vick in 1998, is all documented in Beamer's autobiography "Turn up the Wick" and in Reamon's (auto?)biography.

And now you know the rest of the story.