CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When Michael Vick was 14, he turned the television on and got his first glimpse of Virginia Tech football.

	Michael Vick finished third in the Heisman voting last season.

His introduction lasted only a few minutes.

"I wasn't interested in watching Virginia Tech play," Vick said.

Five years later, the redshirt freshman is shutting off opponents and has led Virginia Tech to a No. 2 ranking in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll.

Growing up in Newport News, Va., Vick said he was interested in watching big-name programs like Florida State, Penn State and Virginia. Virginia Tech was only a few hundred miles away, but as far as Vick was concerned, it might as well have been on the other side of the world.

"That was my first time seeing Virginia Tech in uniform," he said Wednesday. "They didn't have the name nor the history."

His perception changed when it came time to make his college choice. Although he was heavily recruited by Syracuse, which saw a lot of Donovan McNabb in Vick, it was too far away from home.

Tech, it turns out, was good enough.

"I knew I could come here and make a name for myself," Vick said.

Just not right away. Vick had another attitude adjustment at his first practice last year when he was introduced to defensive end Corey Moore.

"I dropped back and Corey came in so fast," Vick said. "After the play, he came up to me and told me, 'This game isn't easy.' Looking in his eyes kind of scared me. That's when I started to take the game more seriously."

It seems to have worked. Vick leads all Big East quarterbacks in passing efficiency. He's also shown his ability as a rushing threat.

"I think this kid is the furthest along of any freshman quarterback that I've seen in this league," said West Virginia coach Don Nehlen, who sees a lot of McNabb in Vick.

"It's amazing for me to say this. I think he's got a better release. A quicker release, and it seems to be more accurate," Nehlen said. "That's kind of scary when you think McNabb's in the pros."

Nehlen said Vick's teammates help soften the blow of his mistakes. He threw three interceptions in a 20-point victory against Clemson.

"Not doing that now," Nehlen said. "You can see him walk the ladder. They got a dandy in him, boy."

Vick said the Clemson game has taught him not to repeat his mistakes.

"I just learn from my mistakes. In the Clemson game, I think I did too much," he said.

Vick appeared to fill with excitement when told that West Virginia has struggled against running quarterbacks. The Mountaineers are giving up an average of 200 yards on the ground per game, which ranks 99th in Division I-A.

"I never even knew that. If that's true, that's part of my game," he said.