Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980 in Newport News, Virginia) is an American football quarterback for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons franchise. He is the older brother of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Marcus Vick, and the second cousin of Oakland Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks.
| Career history | |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference |
At 6'-0" and 215 pounds, the left-handed passing Vick is one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league but is regarded by many pundits and fans as being one of the NFL's most exciting players due to his speed, agility, and arm strength. However, Vick's detractors have pointed to his mediocre passing statistics and ratings, as well as his inability to lead his team to consistent playoff appearances.
High School Career
Michael Vick first came to prominence while at Ferguson High School in Newport News, Virginia. As a freshman, he impressed many with his athletic ability, throwing for over 400 yards in a game that year. In 1996, as a junior, Vick and coach Tommy Reamon both moved to Warwick High School, also in Newport News, after Ferguson High School was shut down. At Warwick High School, Vick was a three-year starter where he passed for 4,846 yards with 43 touchdowns during his career. He once ran for six touchdowns and threw for 3 touchdowns in a single game. He also added 1,048 yards and 18 scores on the ground and accounted for 10 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns as a senior as he passed for 1,668 yards.
College career
After high school, Michael Vick attended Virginia Tech. In his first collegiate game as a redshirt freshman in 1999, he scored three rushing touchdowns in just over one quarter of play. His last touchdown was a spectacular flip in which he landed awkwardly on his ankle, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game in addition to the following game. He led the Hokies to an 11-0 season and to the 2000 Bowl Championship Series national title game in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Florida State University. Although Virginia Tech lost 46-29, Vick was able to bring the team back from a 21 point deficit to take a brief lead.
Vick led the NCAA in passing efficiency that year, setting a record for a freshman (180.4), which was also good enough for the third-highest all-time mark (Colt Brennan holds the record at 185.9 from his 2006 season at Hawaii). Vick was awarded an ESPY Award as the nation's top college player, and won the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football's most valuable player. He was invited to the 1999 Heisman Trophy presentation and finished third in the voting behind Ron Dayne and Joe Hamilton. Vick's third-place finish matched the highest finish ever by a freshman up to that point, first set by Herschel Walker in 1980 (Adrian Peterson has since broken that mark, finishing second in 2004).
Vick's 2000 season did have its share of highlights, such as his career rushing high of 210 yards against the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In his final collegiate season, Virginia Tech finished 11-1, with the lone loss coming against the highly-ranked University of Miami, a game where Vick saw limited action due to injury. Vick's final game at Virginia Tech came in the Toyota Gator Bowl, where he was named MVP of the game.
2001 NFL Draft
Vick was selected in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the first overall pick. The San Diego Chargers had the number one selection spot in the draft that year but anticipated that they would be unable to sign Vick, who was perceived as the best player in the year's draft class. Instead, they traded the rights to the #1 overall choice to the Atlanta Falcons a day before the draft, for which they received the Falcons' #1 pick (5th overall) and #3 pick in 2001, a #2 pick in 2002 and WR/KR Tim Dwight. With the Chargers' downgraded spot (the 5th overall), they selected Texas Christian University running back LaDainian Tomlinson. In this way, Tomlinson and Vick are linked as having been "traded" for each other, although the transaction was actually the result of traded draft picks and contract negotiations.[1]
NFL career
On January 1, 2003, Vick led the Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the heavily-favored Green Bay Packers 27-7 in the NFC playoffs, ending the Packers' undefeated playoff record at Lambeau Field. The Falcons would later lose 20-6 to the Donovan McNabb-led Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional playoff game.
During a pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens the following season, Vick suffered a fractured right fibula and missed most of the regular season. Doug Johnson assumed the quarterbacking duties. Upon Vick's return in week twelve, the Falcons finished the season 3-1, defeating the Carolina Panthers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2004, he led the Falcons to a record of 11-5, earning a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs for only the third time in franchise history. The Vick-led Falcons rushed for a playoff record 317 yards (Vick himself had 119 of them), and he threw two touchdown passes. However, the Eagles again played the role of heart breaker, beating them in the NFC title game 27-10.
On October 22, 2006, Vick had his first game in the which he threw three or more touchdowns. After three quarters, Vick had four touchdowns, three of which went to Alge Crumpler. The following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw three more with no interceptions.
Only Randall Cunningham and Steve Young have more rushing yards at the quarterback position than Vick, who is ranked first in career rushing yards among active QB's. Vick is also first among QB's all-time in rushing yards per game, at 53.5 yards per game. Cunningham is second (30.6/g), Bobby Douglass is third (29.8/g). Vick also holds several NFL quarterback rushing records, including most rushing yards in one game (173), most 100-yard rushing games (7), and most rushing yards in a single season (1,039).
College Records and Milestones
- One of the most exciting athletes to ever play college football as he led the Hokies to a 20-1 record over two seasons and carried the school to the National Championship Game in his first season as a college starting quarterback in 1999.
- Applied for early entry into NFL draft (as a redshirt sophomore) after two seasons as Virginia Tech's starter and one appearance in a National Championship Game.
- Completed 87 of 161 passes for 1,234 yards with eight touchdowns while carrying 104 times for 607 yards as a sophomore in 2000.
- Captured the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football Player of the Year as a (redshirt) freshman when he led the nation in passing efficiency at 180.37, the second-highest total ever, and guided the Hokies to a perfect 11-0 regular season record.
- Set an NCAA record for a freshman and established single-season school records for highest yards passing per completion (20.4), per attempt (12.1), highest completion percentage (59.2) and most yards per play (9.3).
- Appeared in 10 games, completing 90 of 152 passes for 1,840 yards with 12 touchdowns, and rushed 108 times for 585 yards with eight more scores. He averaged 242.5 yards of offense per game.
- Incredible performance in the Sugar Bowl vs. Florida State for the National Championship included completing 15 of 29 pass attempts for 225 yards with a 49-yard touchdown pass, as well as gaining 97 yards on 23 carries with a three-yard score, to total 322 yards of offense in almost single-handedly engineering an upset before falling, 46-29.
- Finished third in the balloting for the coveted Heisman Trophy (matching the highest finish ever by a freshman) while coming away with the hardware for Big East Conference Offensive and Rookie of the Year and finished runner-up in voting for the Associated Press Player of the Year.
- Became the first player in Division I history to win a league's Player of the Year Award in the same season he won Rookie of the Year.
- Finished his career with a 20-1 record as starter at Virginia Tech.
- Prior to the Virginia Tech-LSU contest on September 1, 2002, Vick's No. 7 jersey was retired by the school in a special ceremony. (Under Virginia Tech's new policy, the No. 7 jersey will continue to be worn as Tech retires jerseys but not numbers.) The school added a banner featuring Vick's jersey and his name in the north end of the end zone.
NFL Records and Milestones
- In 2006, Vick became the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season.
- In 2006, Vick set the NFL record for most yards per carry in a season, at 8.4.
- When Vick and RB Jerious Norwood both ran for over 100 yards in Week 4 of the 2006 season, the Falcons became the only NFL team to ever record two games in a franchise's history where both the quarterback and a running back on the same team surpassed the 100-yard mark. (Vick and Warrick Dunn both eclipsed 100 yards in Week 2 of the same season.)
- Earned his second consecutive and third overall Pro Bowl nod in 2005 as he passed for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to leading all NFL quarterbacks with 597 rushing yards and six scores.
- Named to the second Pro Bowl of his career after leading the Falcons to their third division title in team history and breaking numerous NFL and team records in 2004.
- Set an NFL postseason record for a quarterback with 119 rushing yards in the 2004 NFC Divisional Playoff win against the Rams.
- Became the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game at the Broncos (10/31/04).
- Named to the 2002 Pro Bowl, becoming the sixth quarterback to be voted to the NFL All-Star game in his first year as a starter since 1970, joining Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins (1983), Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers (1992), Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams (1999), Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings (2000) and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (2001).
- Top overall NFL draft choice in 2001 after a celebrated college career at Virginia Tech. Was the fourth Falcons #1 overall pick in club history (Tommy Nobis in 1966, Steve Bartkowski in 1975, Aundray Bruce in 1988).
- Voted the Atlanta Falcons Most Valuable Player of 2006 by fans on the team's official website.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Rating | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2001 | 50 | 113 | 785 | 2 | 3 | 62.7 | 31 | 289 | 9.3 | 1 | ||
| 2002 | 231 | 421 | 2,936 | 16 | 8 | 81.6 | 113 | 777 | 6.9 | 8 | ||
| 2003 | 50 | 100 | 585 | 4 | 3 | 69.0 | 40 | 255 | 6.4 | 1 | ||
| 2004 | 181 | 321 | 2,313 | 14 | 12 | 78.1 | 120 | 902 | 7.5 | 3 | ||
| 2005 | 214 | 387 | 2,412 | 15 | 13 | 73.1 | 102 | 597 | 5.9 | 6 | ||
| 2006 | 204 | 388 | 2,474 | 20 | 13 | 75.7 | 120 | 1,039 | 8.4 | 2 | ||
| Total | 930 | 1,730 | 11,505 | 71 | 52 | 75.7 | 523 | 3,859 | 7.3 | 21 | ||
Style of Play
Vick is noted for his unique, explosive playing style. Some commentators consider him the most exciting player in the game of football, and he has given himself the nickname "Superman". Gifted with agility, speed, and a strong arm, he can engineer big plays with both his arm and his legs. Notable is the fact that while he throws left-handed, he is otherwise right-handed. In the 2004 football season (including post season), he rushed for over 1000 yards. Vick's mobility has often caused major problems for opposing defenses, which have to defend against him differently than they would against a conventional-style quarterback. Whereas most quarterbacks are not a major threat to run the ball for a lot of yards, Vick is capable of breaking huge runs from anywhere on the field or evading defenders to give his receivers time to get open.
The Falcons are one of the few teams in the NFL to have a large number of specifically-designed running plays for their quarterback. His speed and arm strength also pose a threat to "Cover 2" defenses, which can be neutralized by short and medium range passes, which requires a quarterback with a strong arm.
While Vick is not the first scrambling, lefty-throwing quarterback (Bobby Douglass was a dual threat with the Chicago Bears in the 1970s, and Steve Young of the 49ers in the 1990s), few present-day quarterbacks possess Vick's mobility.
Vick is an elite runner but only has average accuracy when it comes to his passing game. His career completion percentage is 53.8%.
Despite his past injuries, which include knee and hamstring ailments, former Falcons head coach Jim Mora Jr. implemented an offensive scheme obviously derived from the option offense early in the 2006 season to take advantage of Vick's athleticism. The option offense is generally not used in the National Football League due to the punishment option quarterbacks often receive.
Adding to Vick's exciting image, he stated after the 2004 season that he wouldn't cut his hair until he won a Super Bowl.
Debate and Criticism
The most frequent criticisms of Vick are that he has poor fundamental skills and that he puts himself at unnecessary risk of injury. Critics cite the leg fracture he suffered in the 2003 pre-season against the Ravens, and a knee injury he suffered early in the 2005 season (which reoccurred a few weeks later), that hampered his mobility throughout the year as prime evidence that Vick needs to learn to "pick his spots" as a runner, citing the example of Steve Young, another mobile left-handed signalcaller who had a mediocre professional career before being placed in an offensive system with the San Francisco 49ers that optimized his talents. Young eventually won a Super Bowl and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, becoming the first left-handed quarterback to be so honored.
The aforementioned playoff win against the Packers remains perhaps Vick's biggest career win as a starter. But while Vick does deserve some credit in engineering the victory, he finished the game with a 52 percent completion rate, throwing for just 117 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, the Falcons' defense forced three fumbles from three different players and forced future Hall of Famer Brett Favre into throwing two interceptions while limiting running back Ahman Green, at the time one of the league's top rushers, to just 34 yards. Atlanta's special teams unit also blocked a punt and returned it for one of the Falcons' three touchdowns.
Critics have stated that while Vick has a powerful arm, his passes are not nearly as accurate as other top quarterbacks in the league, such as New England's Tom Brady or Indianapolis' Peyton Manning, both of whom have better quarterback ratings. Vick supporters argue that the quarterback rating doesn't take into account Vick's rushing yards, and is not an accurate benchmark of Vick's contribution to the team. However, another counterpoint from critics is that sacks and yards lost are not integrated into an NFL quarterback's rushing stats, making it technically impossible for Vick, or any other quarterback, to carry a negative rushing average. This in turn masks the cost of Vick's unsuccessful attempts to rush.
In a November 2005 press conference, Vick scoffed at the notion that he was a weak "pocket" passer. Vick's knee problem had limited his mobility, and his quarterback rating actually improved modestly. However, the Falcon's winning percentage did not likewise increase.
Other pundits also believe that the Falcons, while replete with competent "possession" receivers, lack a fast, "deep threat" wideout who can make yards after the catch. To help remedy this, the Falcons acquired former Buffalo Bills wideout Peerless Price prior to the 2003 season. But Price proved to be a massive disappointment, catching just six touchdowns passes over the course of two seasons. He was released by the organization prior to the 2005 season and re-signed with Buffalo. Arguably, Vick's favorite target is tight end Alge Crumpler, a very good receiver, but certainly no speedster. Receiver Brian Finneran, another favorite target of Vick's (but, like Crumpler, no speedster), suffered a devastating left knee injury in the Falcons' training camp and will miss the entire year.
Vick's critics have countered that it's unfair to cast the blame on the receivers alone, though, since Vick remains the common denominator in the Falcons offense. There have also been reports that Vick and the Falcons coaching staff do not always see eye to eye, and that Vick struggled to understand the intricate West Coast playbook, which led to the implementation of the option-esque offense. Other pundits have stated that they believe that traditional "rules" about what a quarterback should be and how the position should be played do not apply to Vick due to his effective, non-traditional style.
A few critics have been even harsher than simply singling out Vick's accuracy woes, derisively labeling him an "athlete" who happens to play the quarterback position rather than a true quarterback. He has shown the potential to be at least an adequate passer, however. He amassed a quarterback rating of 81.6 in 2002, which is his best performance in that statistical category.
Vick's visibility has earned him some backlash as well. Some fans have reacted negatively to the constant media hype that surrounds Vick, and feel that an over-exuberant American sports media anointed him as the best player in football without sufficient proof for the accolade. For instance, Vick's selection to the Pro Bowl for the 2005 season was a controversial one given the fact that in addition to his 15 touchdown passes, he threw 13 interceptions and that his 2,412 passing yards is extremely below average[1]. However, he did rush for over 500 yards and scored 6 touchdowns. Following Vick's Pro Bowl selection, sports columnist Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News called Vick "the most overrated player in the league." Likewise, in an NFL season preview article in the August, 2006 issue of Maxim, the magazine's readers crowned Vick as "Most Overrated." A Sports Illustrated poll taken in 2005 also showed that the Vick is considred to the most overrated player in the NFL.
Controversy
Ron Mexico Controversy
In March, 2005, a woman named Sonya Elliot filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from Vick and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease.[2] Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition. This led to a deluge of fans ordering customized #7 Atlanta Falcons jerseys on NFLShop.com with the name "Mexico" on the back.[3] Due to the media interest surrounding the case, the National Football League disallowed the use of the jersey/name combination two days after the lawsuit.
On April 24, 2006, Vick's attorney revealed that the lawsuit had settled out of court with a undisclosed settlement.[4]
Video game developer Midway Games has alluded to Vick and his Ron Mexico alter-ego in their 2006 title, Blitz: The League. Due to Midway's loss of the National Football League license (EA Sports now has exclusive NFL licensing), all teams and players in the game are fictitious. However, the "Washington Redhawks"' star quarterback is a mobile, left-handed passer named "Mike Mexico."
Obscene Gesture Incident
After a Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome on November 26, 2006, Vick made an obscene gesture at Atlanta fans, holding up two middle fingers.[5] Vick has said, "I'm sorry and I apologize to all the young kids and to whoever saw me make that gesture. I just let my emotions get the best of me in that situation and it won't happen again." [6] On November 26, 2006, he was fined $10,000 by the NFL for his obscene gesture, and agreed to donate another $10,000 to charity.[7] Vick split his charity donation to two separate causes. He gave $5,000 to the family of a local fireman who had just died. He gave the other half to the Warrick Dunn foundation (which helps support single mothers).
Water Bottle Incident
On January 17, 2007, Vick surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport. Due to Vick's reluctance to leave the bottle behind, it was later retrieved from a trash receptacle. The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana," a Miami police report said. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said. On Monday, January 22, 2007, the test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing. Vick also was drug tested and he was found innocent.[2]
Some elements of the incident may not have been fully explained. The initial reports were that the test could take up to several weeks before it was determined what was in the bottle but it was apparently determined in a matter of days. What actually was in the bottle has not yet been revealed, though it was legal, nor has Vick explained why it had a secret compartment. The security tape from the airport documenting the incident has also been erased because, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami-Dade Police Department spokesman Robert Williams wrote in an e-mail: "That information was shown to the State Attorney's Office and it was determined by them that no criminal act was committed and no charges were filed. Therefore, this video was deleted from the flash drive since it was not being used in a criminal case."[3]
The Falcons later released the following statement: "We appreciate the speed at which the Miami authorities concluded their investigation, and we are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation. This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us."[4]
Contract
On December 23, 2004, Vick signed a 10-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons worth $130 million dollars with a $37m signing bonus, making him the highest paid player in NFL history and one of largest contracts ever in sports. Vick's deal surpasses the $98m contract the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning signed in March, 2005. Manning, who signed for seven years, is guaranteed $34.5m in bonuses. Vick's $130m potential value tops Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb's 12-year, $115m deal that runs through the year 2013.
Endorsements
Vick is a spokesperson for many companies. His endorsement contracts include Nike, AirTran Airways, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Kraft, Rawlings, and Hasbro.
Trivia
- Vick is a spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and the Empty Stocking Fund and gives credit to the Boys & Girls Club in his hometown for helping him grow as a youth and provides a monetary donation through a player performance pledge to the local chapter for every touchdown pass.
- As a part of ESPN.com's "Jocks to GI's", he had a GI e-mail pen pal overseas during the war with Iraq that he communicated with in the spring of 2003. He and ssgt., USAF Angela Geist from Lawrenceville, GA, shared emails and life experiences.
- Named to Sports Illustrated's "101 Most Influential Minorities In Sports" in May of 2003 at #77 and was chosen to be the EA Sports cover athlete and spokesman for (John) Madden NFL 2004.
- Became the 11th quarterback selected with the top overall pick in the NFL draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 and the first African-American quarterback ever taken with the #1 overall choice.
- Ironically drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2000 MLB draft despite not playing baseball since the 8th grade.
- Hails from talent-rich Tidewater, Virginia area that has also produced the likes of athletes such as Allen Iverson (Denver Nuggets), Ronald Curry (ex-UNC football and basketball player) and Aaron Brooks (Oakland Raiders).
- His mother, Brenda Boddie, is a strong positive influence in his life.[8]
References
- ^ Vick-Tomlinson was the ultimate win-win trade from NFL.com, 13 October, 2004.
- ^ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0405051vick1.html
- ^ http://www.deadspin.com/sports/nfl/wear-the-jersey-of-your-favorite-players-venereal-disease-219029.php
- ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-falcons-vicksued&prov=ap&type=lgns
- ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6217588
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06333/741983-150.stm
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/ATL/9836538
- ^ http://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/playerBio.jsp?id=54