Picture a spectrum ranging from positive deeds to negative ones. Is it possible for things on opposing sides of this spectrum to mutually coexist within one person? Well, it is. Former no. 1 overall draft pick and 4x Pro Bowler Michael Vick stands as a clear testament. An enigma when he burst onto the NFL scene, Vick did great things with the pigskin. He set the precedent of his archetype and style of quarterbacks to be successful in the league. However, a rather unforeseen event turned what was supposed to be an unforgettable journey toward being an icon into a hotbed of all things controversial…

At the peak of his NFL career with the Falcons, Michael Vick was convicted of spearheading a dog-fighting ring. He wasn’t a mere ancillary who got caught in the midst of a bigger ploy. Vick really ran the thing, both financially and operationally. While Vick did return to the league two years later, and had a degree of success, too, he never got unanimous acceptance. Less so forgiveness. It’s understandable why the masses, who previously loved Vick, never let this go. While this “marred” icon is now back in the sport via the coaching realm, the demons of his past continue to spawn as a nagging reminder.

Vick will be the 19th head coach at Norfolk State—a position he took up in December last year. However, learning things on the fly as a first-time FCS coach means Vick’s contending with a lot of curveballs in his first off-season. He came across one via the media pertaining to his scandalous past. In an interview with WTKR News 3 aired April 1, Vick spoke about how he wants his players to see beyond his image as a star and get to know him as a person. Later, he was confronted with a question he seemed a little flustered by—which was expected given the subject matter. 

“When you came here, obviously, there were a lot of reactions,” said the interviewer. “What is your message to people who say, ‘Hey. You shouldn’t be here because of this past?” The details were sparse, but Michael Vick understood the underlying connotation.

“I don’t really feel like I need to feed into it. I don’t know. I have no answer for that question,” replied Vick. “God is good. God has blessed me and my family…blessed everybody in this program for us to be in each other’s presence. I’ve actually never heard anything [from] outside…so I really can’t give an answer,” he proceeded. Well, there definitely was noise. After all, the controversy back in the day didn’t just shake up the NFL, but the entire nation. To refresh your memory:

As per PAWS Chicago, the former NFL player reportedly bought a $34,000 property in Smithfield, Virginia, back in 2001 which would later serve which he would later use to house and train pitbulls, for a dog-fighting operation “Bad Newz Kennels” which the Vick financed along with his friends Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. The quarterback reportedly hosted the inter-state dog-fighting ring for six years, that usually saw winners take home somewhere between $2,000 to $26,000.

However, authorities soon caught up. 47 dogs were reportedly rescued from the property, with the NFL star facing a prison sentence. A 17-page report prepared by U.S. Department of Agriculture dated August 28, 2008, stated how “Vick, Peace and Phillips thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to Bad Newz Kennels injure or k-ll the other dogs.” Subsequently, the Atlanta Falcons player pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twenty-three months in prison with three years probation and a $5000 fine. The NFL also suspended him indefinitely without pay. However, he was reinstated prior to the 2009 season, and went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles (2009–2013), New York Jets (2014), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2015).

To be fair to Michael Vick, he has mended his ways. He was apologetic when he was reinstated into the NFL upon the end of his sentence. He’s even been a proponent of the fight against animal cruelty. But that blemish on his image still exists and will perpetually. However, the retired veteran has never shied away from addressing those dark days. In a conversation on Tyreek Hill’s podcast ‘It needed to be Said’, the 44-year-old had admitted in July 2023, “I wish I had a father figure or somebody in my life — and I did, too, for the most part — but not to the point where somebody was like, ‘Yo, man, you can really screw all this up’.”

“Ain’t nobody came and said, ‘Bro, you can screw all this up.’ One person [did], I won’t say his name,” he further admitted.

But external noise really isn’t something Vick can bother with at this juncture. He’s got more current, and more professional matters are taking precedence.

Michael Vick opens up about one of the pitfalls of coaching at an HBCU

Michael Vick has worked some interning, consultancy, and coordinating roles across different rungs of the football ladder. But, as aforementioned, he’s never been a head coach. Even for something that’s been around the game for decades, it’s a different kettle of fish to contend with. There’s more onus and responsibility that needs reciprocation in less time. Vick’s definitely feeling the duress he’s under, especially making this transition in the NIL era. But it’s bringing about a level of “excitement”.

“This has been fun. To be acclimated and back involved in football coaching, and having the team that I get to coach for days on end is the most exciting thing that I’ve encountered in a long time since playing the game,” he said while guesting at a MEAC basketball event. That said, Vick also spoke to fellow NFL legend Marshawn Lynch about how he’s learning about the handicap Norfolk State have on the NIL and recruitment front the hard way. “I’m taking the ‘embrace it approach…They’re offering you some bread? I can’t do that.”

You can keep great players out of the game, but you can’t keep the game out of great players. While he was great on the mic in his stint as an analyst on FOX, Michael Vick knew his calling was in the thick of the action. It remains to be seen whether he can further follow the footsteps of Deion Sanders and actually ascend through the levels of the sport as a coach. But for now, the focus will solely be on building something at Norfolk State. Do you think he’ll be able to do it?