You know what? Every Michael Vick interview we see makes us respect him even more. All of us are very well aware of Vick’s past, but the way he addresses it and just accepts it is a full-on masterclass in being a better human being. And the maturity is not a renovation in his personality. He has cultivated it ever since he was a little child.
In a raw and vulnerable moment, Vick talked about the sacrifices he made growing up and the emotional rollercoaster that was his childhood home. If you thought you knew everything about Vick’s journey from street to stadium, think again. There’s a layer here that’s vulnerable and impossible to ignore. And that makes you think that Vick receiving Comeback Player of the Year in 2010 was not limited just to the NFL. He really is the comeback guy.
While talking in a recent interview with Wilmington Library, Vick opened up about his childhood. He said, “I was always just aware of my surroundings, and like had a goal, and I wanted to accomplish something.” Vick has always been ambitious, but for a Black kid coming from a humble background, quick fixes to money problems are always tempting. Vick said, “I go in the house, I look at my mom, and sometimes, I know she’s struggling. I’m like, you know what? One day I want to make some money. But in setting those goals and want[ing] to accomplish certain things in life, it’s like it’s so many sacrifices. Oh no, I can’t sell drugs. I can’t take the package over there. It might be an extra 20 or $30, but damn, I might go to detention.”
Vick admits he was tempted by the quick money of the streets but ultimately chose a harder path for a better future. “Yeah. So, it was like sacrifices like every turn. But I loved it because it was a challenge, and it paid off for me one day,” he said. That’s the kind of grit that separates the standouts from the regular, trading instant gratification for long-term goals. And as a reader, it makes you wonder what you would have done in his shoes.
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Vick also peeled back the curtain on his parents’ relationship, too. “My parents… sometimes they showed affection, sometimes they didn’t….. sometimes my father would be stuck in his ways and it was conflict,” he explained. “I was like, I know how I would hold my girlfriend’s hand if I could take her to the candy store… I don’t see that in the household sometimes. I just knew that… they had a relationship that was rocky. I was like, one day I’ll change that.” Remember, we talked about how he has cultivated his maturity ever since he was younger. This is the evidence. These instances could easily draw a person into the rabbit hole of hatred and despise, let alone a young kid. But not Vick, he had been practicing forgiveness for a long time.
But then came a lighthearted twist. During a playful moment, Vick redirected to lighter ground. When asked about from whom does he get his athletic abilities, he said, “My dad. … Well, my mom can run when she’s afraid. She’s afraid of dogs.” Cue the laughter from the crowd. That quip delivered a loving jab at himself after the intensity of the emotional history that he has been through. And if you’ve been through some tough roads before in your life, it reminds you of that Charlie Chaplin quote, “Comedy is life viewed from a distance; tragedy, life in a close-up.”
At the end of the day, Vick’s story is about life more than football. It’s about making hard decisions, loving despite flaws, and finding humor in unexpected moments. It’s a reminder that every one of our idols is first and foremost a human who has found themselves on the wrong side of morality sometimes, but still finds a way to move on. And as college football fans, we see that all the time, the kids who fight through adversity and still rise. That’s the real highlight reel.
Why Virginia Tech was always the move for Vick
For Michael Vick, choosing Virginia Tech was a no-brainer. Bombarded with offers from programs like Syracuse and Georgia Tech, Vick’s move to Virginia Tech had nothing to do with football and everything to do with family. When asked about his choice, Vick said, “It was convenient for my mom to get there,” highlighting how her presence in the crowd gave him comfort. “Having my mom in a crowd was like a safety valve for me. I know I could make a mistake in front of her, and I can explain it to her.”
That bond with his mother ran deep. From high school to college, she never missed a single game. Vick said, “She was like my biggest supporter. Never missed a game in Little League, never missed a game in high school, never missed a game in college. Um, and so I wanted to keep that going.” And just so you know, Vick’s home from VT was a 4-hour drive, which is not very feasible, but her mom made it every week.
Interestingly, the family’s closeness extended beyond the stands and into their surname. When asked about keeping his mom’s name, Vick confirmed, “Absolutely.” It was a collective decision he and his siblings made. And while his childhood relationship with his father was rocky, he now speaks about it with maturity and peace: “Me and my dad got a great relationship to this day. I’m all about forgiveness… I love them now more than I did when I was younger.” It’s sort of poetic how forgiveness has been a recurring theme in Vick’s life. Maybe he was destined to be forgiving and be forgiven. But anyway, the takeaway is, never miss a Michael Vick interview. You might learn much more about life than football, and that’s a good thing.
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