Among the many unique distinctions in the storied football career of Michael Vick, one detail tends to slide under the radar—until it blows your mind. The former No. 1 overall pick and four-time Pro Bowler is responsible for placing a pair of basketball shoes—yes, basketball—in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The sneakers in question? A red and white pair of Air Jordan 17s. But before we get into how exactly Vick helped write a new chapter in the Michael Jordan footwear empire, let’s rewind to the moment where sneaker culture, gridiron greatness, and Vick’s electric aura collided.

It all started on a frigid December night in 2002, when the Atlanta Falcons faced the Minnesota Vikings in overtime. Michael Vick laced up those very Jordan 17s and delivered one of the most jaw-dropping performances of his career. He ran for 173 yards, setting the single-game rushing record for a QB at the time.

He also shattered the record for the longest touchdown run in overtime by a QB. That single play—where he split two Viking defenders with incredible speed and grace, like a video game glitch—still loops on highlight reels. The Pro Football Hall of Fame noticed. They came calling, and those Jordans went from turf to trophy case.

Fast-forward to the Got Sole sneaker convention in Philadelphia, where Michael Vick stood at the forefront, surrounded by buzzing sneakerheads and fans. In his sights? A retro pair of UNC Jordan 17 Low shoes. Standing among piles of heat, Vick’s eyes locked onto the sneakers that changed his legacy. Got Sole founder and CEO Jonathan DiModica handed him the pair, and what followed was peak Vick.

“Did you put this shoe on the map? The Jordan 17s?” DiModica asked, showing Vick a new pair. “Yeah. I wore that in the game. Actual game,” Vick confirmed. Then, tapping into his quarterback instincts, Vick picked up one of his signed sneakers and launched it into the crowd. The sneaker spiraled like a perfect pass and landed in the hands of a stunned fan from Newark, Delaware.

The moment was part celebration, part flashback. “And you were making people look like they didn’t know how to play football wearing these essentials,” DiModica said, summing up the vibe. Vick was all smiles when he said, “Made some history in those.”

At the time of that iconic OT win, Nike was already working on Vick’s own signature line. Development had begun in 2001, even before he officially signed with the brand. But those Jordans were the bridge—between eras, between athletes, between hardwood legends and turf phenoms. Vick didn’t just wear them; he immortalized them.

While the Air Jordans he wore aren’t currently on display in Canton, they remain the only basketball sneakers in the Hall’s archives. Not even the $3.5 billion worth Jordan himself can claim that. “I never knew those shoes would end up in the Hall of Fame,” Vick said while speaking to The Undefeated back in 2017. “It’s funny that Jordans ended up in the Hall instead of my shoes. Just bad timing.”

Of course, Michael Vick isn’t the only football star with Jumpman flavor in the Hall. Per his interview, Jordan cleats worn by defensive legends Jason Taylor and Charles Woodson also made their way into the archives. Meanwhile, the NFL icon turned coach at Norfolk State University.

Michael Vick eyes a comeback in the sneaker game

After tossing crisp spirals with NFL royalty and chopping it up with boxing champ Terence “Bud” Crawford, Michael Vick is cooking up something fresh off the field. Now the HC at Norfolk State University, the former Falcons superstar is not only passing on wisdom to young athletes—he’s also eyeing a major play in the footwear world.

In a lively chat on the Complex Sneakers Podcast last September, Vick revisited his Nike roots and teased what might come next. The Nike Vick line became a big part of Atlanta’s culture, embraced by artists like T.I. and Young Jeezy. However, Vick’s legal troubles caused Nike to halt his product line. The company told retailers they wouldn’t release his fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, that summer. While four shoe products and three shirts already bearing his name remained in stores, the new release was stopped.

And in the podcast, Michael Vick explained why he’s now planning to launch his own footwear brand. “I’ve been working on it for two years. It’s been a long time coming. People influenced it,” he said. “Let’s just start the process. Reach out to Nike and see what they’ve got going on. But at the same time let’s just kind of move at our own pace.” And let’s not forget the impact of his kicks back in Atlanta. Vick’s Nike line wasn’t just about performance—it was the culture.