BLACKSBURG - The arm still delivers a football with mustard ... it's a hot, zippy, tight spiral. The legs and feet still move faster than any others on the field.

Now for the real question about Marcus Vick's return to Virginia Tech's football program: Where is the kid's head? Pointed dead straight in the right direction, he says.

After a trouble-filled year in which he was involved in a pair of off-the-field problems that eventually led to his suspension from school last summer, an oft-smiling Vick was happy to be back on the field Wednesday afternoon as the Hokies opened spring practice.

"I just want to accomplish leadership, how to be a great team person, that's the main thing," Vick said. "Then do what I do and keep a clean head."

In meeting with the media for the first time since he re-enrolled at Tech in mid-January, Vick sounded like a guy who had learned his lessons and grown up. He sounded more mature as he contritely apologized to his family, school, and teammates again, and said he was eager to take advantage of being given a second opportunity by the school and program.

"I was young and I'm past that," said Vick, who turned 21 last Sunday. "I'm just looking forward to the future. I realize you can't take life for granted. I know a lot of people do. But in the snap of a finger people can take it away from you, so you've really got to be careful."

The younger brother of Tech icon NFL superstar Michael Vick found that out a year ago. He has since paid his dues and is now ready to get on with what he does best - play football. While he lost a year of eligibility sitting out, Vick has two years left to write a good ending to what so far hasn't been the type college career he expected.

"I think his heart is in exactly the right spot," said Hokies quarterback coach Kevin Rogers. "I think he knows he's made some mistakes, so he's not dodging that issue.

"And it's important to him. I think he's as excited as anybody we have on our team to be out here today. He's been terrific. He's been great in the meetings, he's doing a good job academically, he's done everything we've asked him to do."

Catching No. 5 on a football field is difficult. Vick said he will be just as elusive on the streets at night, too. "I'm kinda going to be by myself. I go out from time to time, but I'm not out there getting wild," he said.

"I've been hanging out with him last couple days at his house playing video games and you can see he's really focused, man," said Eric Green, a senior cornerback for last year's ACC title team.

"He doesn't leave out of the house ... you won't ever see Marcus out, really. You can just see that all the partying and having fun is not really in his dictionary anymore."

Can't be. Not with the last name Vick. Young Vick knows the fishbowl he swam in before at Tech has just gotten a lot smaller.

"Oh, yeah, there are different rules for me," he said. "I learned a lot while I was out. I think about things first before I do it. I think about the consequences and what people are going to think if my actions aren't good."

Vick said he spent most of last fall at his mother's house in Suffolk. He confessed it was hard to watch his team on the television, at first.

"I watched 'em and those guys did great," he said. "There were some hard feelings towards myself, but I got past those, and I'm here and I'm ready to take on the future

"I spent some time with my brother [in Atlanta] and he just told me to keep my head up. I talked to Allen Iverson [NBA star from Newport News]. They told me they went through the same things and people get past things."

Vick said he never investigated the possibility of transferring to another school. He said it didn't take him long to realize that he had to return to Blacksburg and make things right.

"Oh, he'll finish it off right," Green said. "I think he'll be one of those kind of guys who we're tying down and trying to keep here for another year, if he goes out and plays like I expect him to."

For now, it's just keep the nose clean and take advantage of his second chance. Vick said he's gotten nothing but love so far on campus.

"They've had good reactions to me," he said. "It seems like everywhere I go people are just saying, 'welcome back ... good to have you back!' I kind of like that."