Michael Vick Presents New, God-First Image
Pro-football player Michael Vick got two unique shots this past week to reveal to the public how 18 months in prison and his newfound faith has made him a new man – a different man.
On Saturday, during the Super Bowl Breakfast, Vick shared with some 1,100 people about the role that faith played in his life after pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy and involvement in the killing of at least six dogs following a raid of his property in 2007.
He also talked about how God was again the first priority in his life and how he doesn't want to disappoint his family or those who took a chance with him – particularly NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and former Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy, who Vick has previously attributed to having "helped redefine me as an individual."
"God has blessed with a second chance that is something I will value forever," Vick stated, according to Baptist Press. "I don't want to let Him down."
Earlier in the week, BET aired the first episode in a ten-part docu-series featuring Vick, revealing the former NFL star's story from his side and showing the events that led to his incarceration.
"[W]e got to see Mike tell his own story," BET.com production assistant James recalled from the premiere episode of "The Michael Vick Project." "He explained growing up in Virginia and how he was drawn to dog fighting by watching older boys do it. We got to relive his reckless spending habits in the NFL up until the moment he realized his life had changed."
While most critics of the show were quick to put down the first episode for its obvious attempts to draw sympathy from readers and for Vick's arguable lack of explicit remorse, some admitted that it "certainly provides a deeper understanding of the man."
"[T]his series makes it manifestly clear that he wants to put his past behind him," wrote David Hiltbrand for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Presently, Vick is a backup quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles but hopes next year to play on a team as the starting quarterback.
Though he hasn't started a game since 2006, Vick still believes his among the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL.
"I know I can play in this league," 29-year-old Vick said in an appearance Monday on Dan Patrick's radio show. "I know I have a lot of games left in me."
Notably, the acronym for Vick's docu-series is "MVP."