Michael Vick is coming back to gridiron football after eight years since retiring in 2017. His pro career tanked after the Bad Newz Kennels controversy. It did see a brief rise after he had served his sentence, but the potential with which he stepped into the sport never saw its full use. Vick is keen on moving on from the past as he looks to start a new chapter as head coach for Norfolk State. “[H]aving 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’d said. But is the community ready to allow him a chance of redemption?
Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison after he was found to be running a dog-fighting ring in Virginia. Atlanta Falcons, who had drafted him as the No. 1 overall pick in 2001, gave up on him towards the end of that sentence. Then, Vick found a huge pillar of support in veteran coach Andy Reid, who was then HC of Philadelphia. He told the Post, “I told two people that I just needed another opportunity, a second chance. I told my wife and I told Andy. When he brought me in I told him I just needed one shot at it. And he gave me that shot.” That second chance proved vital to Vick’s career. He saw two great seasons in 2010 and 2011, courtesy of Reid giving him that opportunity. In 2010, the NFL named Vick the Comeback Player of the Year. That season, he produced 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns.
When it was announced that Vick was going to be the new HC of Norfolk State, Andy Reid shared a heartfelt message. He said, “Man, is that school lucky to have you. You’re going to do a great job. Those kids are fortunate to have you. Probably most of all, to learn from [you]. You’ll be awesome, you’ll be great for the university. I love you, and I know you’re going to do a great job for them. So, all the best going forward. Now, a Norfolk fan!” The bond the two share is extremely special, as Vick grew teary-eyed after seeing the message.
Image Credits: Imago
Now, as Norfolk State HC, he also had some words of respect for Reid. He told WAVY TV-10 on April 11, “Andy just overall helped me become a well-rounded individual. Helped me grow up as a man… “It’s just a lot of highs and lows, and Andy was always helping me to stay even-keeled. If there was a time where I started to dip, [he said], ‘Hey, you gotta do things this way.’ He was never afraid to tell me the right things to do, and I always appreciated that.”
With Reid by his side, Vick got to make the best of whatever was left of his career. ESPN wrote that Vick, while he was in Philadelphia, was a changed man through and through. He’d spent the most time in the locker room, focused on making healthy changes, and relentlessly reviewed footage. A second chance goes a long way, and Vick ran with the opportunity that Reid gave him. He started in all the games as QB and did so in the next two seasons as well. Had Reid not given him the opportunity, those numbers wouldn’t have been on the records.
But Vick’s presence on the field always has football fans divided. The details of the dog-fighting scandal brought forward some disturbing details that brought widespread criticism from fans and animal cruelty activists. Vick has since dedicated himself to the cause and advocates against animal abuse himself. Now that he looks forward to pulling the Spartans through a better season as a debut HC, fans are still on the edge about the opportunity.
Fans on opposite ends about Michael Vick’s future as CFB Head Coach
Vick still has a long way to go to completely put his controversial past behind him for good. Fans have given a mixed reaction to Vick beginning a new phase in his life. Some are looking at it with a wholesome perspective. “There isn’t an animal on this earth that is more valuable than human life. Get over yourselves, Thank God forgiveness is one of God’s most important themes for mankind,” wrote one fan. Another also echoed the same sentiment, writing, “Absolutely, everyone deserves a 2nd chance depending on the severity of their actions.” Andy Reid chose to look past Vick’s controversy and took a gamble bringing on such a shunned-upon player under his wing.
Other fans, however, continue to remind the world of Vick’s past. “Vick is pure evil,” wrote one fan. Another wrote, “Vick never deserved a second chance.” But the ex-NFLer has tried his level best to compensate for his crimes. He served a jail sentence and was suspended from the NFL. While serving his time, Vick reached out to Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society. He aimed to right his wrongs by deciding to help fight animal cruelty. “I don’t think anyone was tougher on him than we were. But the goal was never the continued punitive treatment of Michael Vick,” said Pacelle. Despite the wave of hate that still ebbs against Vick, he has tried, time and again, to do better than the crime he’d committed.
Vick will be taking on the HC hat, backed by the guidance of the legendary Andy Reid. Vick will have to truly prove himself to be worth the opportunities he’s received so that the world can change their opinion of him. Do you think Vick will be able to redeem himself as the Norfolk State HC?
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