“I want to apologize to the court, my family, and to all the kids who looked up to me as a role model.” This was the moment when the world came crashing down for Michael Vick. Amidst millions of eyeballs and a scathingly long media trial, Vick stood almost lifeless in the courtroom as the Judge pronounced him guilty. Never would the former Falcons QB have thought that the glamor of the NFL would be so heavy to carry, as his next 23 months were to be spent in federal prison. The man who was once the hero of America after being the first black American drafted first overall was now facing conviction in the infamous dog-fighting scandal.

Those dreams, the people who looked up to him? All drowned in a moment of lapse. But the story ahead is probably the most exciting redemption tale in the history of the NFL. Only, it bruised his grandma’s feelings.

23 months after Vick’s conviction in December 2007, the QB had nowhere to turn. The Falcons canceled their contract long before, and no NFL team was ready to take him on. It was probably because of the conviction, but also because doubts loomed about his performances after such a long gap. But this is where the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach, Andy Reid, came into the picture and gave Vick a chance for redemption in the 2009 season. But the journey at Eagles was going to be even more difficult.

For starters, the team signed just a single-year deal with Vick, with plans to put him in backup behind Kevin Kolb and the Eagles legend Donovan McNabb. But this is where things get interesting. McNabb was traded to Washington in 2010, and Kevin Kolb? Well, Kolb was the apparent successor of the Q1 spot, until a tragedy hit. Just 22 minutes into the Eagles’2010 season opener against the Green Bay Packers, Kevin Kolb dropped back on a 3rd and 14. Then came Clay Matthews. He slammed Kolb to the turf, leaving him with a concussion, and Kolb was ruled out for a few games. But Vick? Well, he latched on to the opportunity like he was fighting for his life.

In a recent interview on ‘ARENASPHERE’, Vick describes the game against Washington right after the Packers’ game he played, and how it might have hurt his grandma. “When I was in prison, she passed away. You know, I used to always tell her when I was a kid, like, I’m never going to lose to Washington.”  That’s because Washington was his grandma’s favorite team, and Vick’s career now began with a stern test against Washington, as he describes.

“I’m looking in the sky like, grandma, I hate to go do this, but it’s about to go down tonight.” He added,  “Just whole time in the whole game, I’m just thinking about my grandma like, yo, Grandma, I ain’t it. I’m annihilating them tonight. Like I’m killing them tonight. Like this, going to be the worst beating ever.” Guess what? Vick stayed true to his words and produced one of the most iconic performances in NFL history, and Kolb? Well, after that Washington game, the guy never saw those snaps too much and was later traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

The game against Washington might be the game where even god wanted Michael Vick to have his redemption. The heavens opened, and rain started to fall as Michael Vick soaked in sweat and rain and donning that conic number 7 jersey ran riot over the Redskins (now Commanders). London Fletcher and LaRon Landry didn’t know what hit them as Vick cut passes through the defense like a hot knife through butter. The score read 59-28, and Vick? Finished with 333 passing yards. 80 rushing yards and earned a 150+ passer rating. From then on, the skies truly opened for Vick as he earned a $100 million contract, became the primary QB for the Eagles, and went on to become one of the legends of the game.

Michael Vick promises Norfolk State fans of big things to come

Now, Michael Vick has come to college football and has stepped in as the head coach of Norfolk State. The program, one of the largest HBCUs in America, will benefit from the experience and legacy of the legendary NFL baller as he looks to rejuvenate a team coming off 5 consecutive head coaches with losing records. But Vick has made the job’s demands clear.

“I’m trying to establish a program that 10 years from now, the culture remains the same. And the standard remains the same. It’s about the chemistry that we create, it’s about the camaraderie, the togetherness. We all have to be as one, and that’s the message we preach”. With this, Vick proclaimed Norfolk State to be a winning program in 2025 and said, “That’s it. We’re gonna win games.”

The former Eagles legend, ever since arriving in the program, has focused on roping in sustainable prospects without the heavy use of NIL money. His early successes in transfers like OL Guan Price II and Israel Carter are just a glimpse into what the program can achieve. Moreover, in terms of coaching appointments, Terence Garvin, the former NFL linebacker, and Elton Brown, being the OC, sure look exciting for the program going ahead. Can we see another redemption arc for Michael Vick with Norfolk State?