Michael Vick Humbling Lessons, NFL, Madden, Prison to Redemption

Nov 21, 2023
1½ hours

Everything about quarterback Michael Vick’s game was electric. He was a human highlight-reel who made infamous plays in every game he was under center. And in 2003, he was named the cover athlete for Madden 2004. Little did EA Sports know that Vick’s legacy as a quarterback icon would face as many bumps as it did.

20 years later, Ryan, Channing and Fred sit down with legend Michael Vick to honor the anniversary of him being named to the Madden NFL cover.

Hailing from Virginia, Michael Vick always dreamt differently, thinking about a future of success from a young age. He tells the guys the difficulties of being a trailblazing quarterback at Virginia Tech, and about how being drafted to the Falcons was a blessing, even with its downsides.

Remaining close to home became detrimental for Vick, but the man who revolutionized the game had to reset himself during his time in jail. He tells a story of coach Tony Dungy’s sincere visit to him at a federal prison in Kansas, and how a meeting with Dungy, Andy Reid and Roger Goodell gave his career a second wind.

The 2010 Comeback Player of the Year truly reset his game, and life. Vick explains how he has become an animal welfare advocate while also holding football camps for kids. A young Michael Vick once had a goal of only being drafted to the NFL and he touches on how grateful he was to be named the Madden NFL 2004 cover athlete.

Ryan, Channing and Fred have played alongside and against some impactful athletes, but they talk about how Vick transcended the game with there being few comparable players ever.

The same kid who ran around the streets of Newport News, Virginia has been running around the screens of Madden users for over two decades, and despite his two-year absence from football, he will go down as one of football’s all-time stars.

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