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Quarterback Marcus Vick has taken his final snap in a Virginia Tech uniform.

In the final chapter of his career in Blacksburg, Vick was permanently dismissed from the Tech football program "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play," according to a statement released Friday afternoon by Tech President Charles Steger.

Vick, a fourth-year junior who had one year of college eligibility remaining, said Friday he will forgo that last year and plans on entering the NFL Draft.

In Tech's 35-24 victory over Louisville in Monday's Gator Bowl, Vick created a national furor when NBC's cameras caught him stomping on the leg of Cardinals star defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

With strong speculation indicating that Tech was going to suspend him for at least one or possibly two games at the start of next season for that transgression, Vick's ultimate fate was sealed Friday when information of another legal matter surfaced.

Vick was charged in Hampton on Dec. 17 with two traffic offenses -- speeding and driving while his license was under suspension. While Vick was charged last month, the details of the case were not posted on the Virginia Court Case Information Web site until Thursday. Both charges are misdemeanors.

According to the police report, Vick was pulled over for driving his Chevrolet sport utility vehicle 38 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone sometime after 2 a.m. Dec. 17. He was not taken into custody at the time and one of the two people Vick was with drove after he was ticketed.

He is scheduled to appear in court on the charges in Hampton on Jan. 17.

The suspended license charge was the straw that broke the camel's back, according to Ben Davenport, the rector of Tech's Board of Visitors.

"I think the administration did the correct thing," said Davenport, of Chatham. "And it's very unfortunate, very sorry for a young man. He had all the opportunities in the world and I wish him the very best, but he really backed us in the corner."

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer met with Vick, his mother, Brenda Boddie, and his attorney, Larry Woodward, in Hampton Roads and informed them of the school's decision about an hour before the release of Steger's statement.

Vick, 21, who had one year of eligibility left at Tech, didn't appear to be too upset over the day's developments when he encountered a Virginian-Pilot reporter at a Virginia Beach restaurant Friday night.

"It's not a big deal. I'll just move on to the next level, baby," Vick said. Asked if that meant he would enter the 2006 NFL Draft as an underclassman, Vick said, "Yeah, definitely."

Steger and Tech athletic director Jim Weaver refused further comment on the matter until an 11 a.m. news conference today in Blacksburg.

At the bottom of Steger's press release, Beamer added that he was "very disappointed that this didn't have a better ending. We wanted what's best for this football team and Marcus. I certainly wish him the best."

Beamer, who was in Hampton on Friday to attend a gathering to honor the Hampton High state champion football team, did speak briefly about Vick's departure with Norfolk's WVEC-TV.

"I'm disappointed for Marcus and our program and for Hokie Nation, but several things came down, and the university, the athletic director and myself made the decision that we thought was right for the situation," Beamer said.

On his meeting with the family, Beamer said: "They took it as you would expect. They're good people."

With Friday's announcement, Vick's tumultuous career in Blacksburg came to an end.

He was suspended for one game during the 2003 season for an undisclosed violation of team rules. The younger brother of Tech-turned-NFL-star Michael Vick was suspended for the 2004 season as a result of convictions for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, reckless driving and possession of marijuana.

At the time, Steger warned that any return for Marcus Vick would be a "last-chance opportunity," a clause that he referred to in Friday's statement.

"The university provided one last opportunity for Vick to become a citizen of the university ... with the proviso that any future problems would result in automatic dismissal from the team.

Given a second chance, Vick won the starting job and led the Hokies to an 11-2 season and final No. 7 ranking.

Although he was named first-team All-ACC, Vick hit a snag during Tech's Oct. 1 game at West Virginia, when he made an obscene gesture to fans for which he apologized the next day.

Bryan Randall, who was Vick's predecessor as the Hokies' starting quarterback, said no one can say that his successor didn't get a fair shot.

"I don't believe that ... I think even if you asked Marcus that, he would admit that he was given another chance, and a lot of times you don't get a second chance," Randall said. "I believe Virginia Tech was fair in giving him a second chance to come back to the university. I just think now they were put into a situation where it kind of put them in a hard position after what they had said the first time. I think right now it's really a tough situation for the school and Marcus, and a decision had to be made."

Like Randall, many of Vick's teammates heard the news of his dismissal through the media. Aaron Rouse, whose 2-year-old is Vick's godson, said he was in "disbelief and shock" when he first saw the report on television.

"I can't believe that I won't be playing with him next year," said Rouse, a rising senior safety. "I think it's a severe blow to our football team to lose a guy like Marcus. We lost a great one, a leader who we were looking forward to being with us there next year."

When asked if he thought Vick got a fair shake, Rouse paused for a few seconds before responding.

"The world is not fair, you know ... no, I don't think it was fair to dismiss him from the team," Rouse said. "It's a double standard ... he's Marcus Vick and every little thing he does is going to get blown up way out of proportion. I think right now if he could take it back, I know he would."

Despite being close with Vick, Rouse said he hadn't heard any mention of last month's traffic charges.

Conversation about Vick's dismissal from the squad dominated conversation all over Southwest Virginia Friday.

Larry Corvin, president of the Wytheville Hokie Club, said he spent much of his time on the phone talking with other Hokies about the situation.

"I wonder what kind of situation we've created at Tech, and I'm part of it," Corvin said. "We want and almost demand a winning program, and that comes with some risk and issues that I don't know we were prepared to accept."

When asked if it's time for Tech fans to look in the mirror, Corvin said: "I think so. We've created a feeding frenzy, for the national media, especially.

"Still, I'm proud to be a Hokie. Always have been, always will be. And we can't let this deter us from feeling that way."

Roanoke Times reporter Reed Williams and Landmark News Service contributed to this report.