As a football player at BYU, Virg set 6 NCAA records. 19 WAC records, and 24 BYU records. He was named All-Conference during his junior and senior years, and also WAC Player of the Year both years. He received the Dale Rex Memorial Award in 1967 for his contribution to amateur athletics in Utah, and received All-American honorable mention. Along with his athletic accomplishments, Virg also received academic recognition. He was named BYU Outstanding Senior in the college of Physical and Engineering Sciences and was Scholastic All-American for two years.

From 1967-76 Virg played professional football with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and Chicago Fire. He was captain of the Bengal team. In 1971 he led the NFL in pass completion percentage and was third in overall passing statistics. He was named Most Valuable Player in 1968, 1971, and 1974, and received the Man of Year Award in Sacrament, California in 1971 for his contribution to athletics.

Virg married Judy Green in 1967, and they are the parents of a son, Chad Alexander. Virg retired from professional football in 1976. Since his retirement, he has been involved in sportscasting and often fills speaking engagements on radio and television.