Athletes - Michael Vick

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	Athletes - Michael Vick

Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980 in Newport News, Virginia), is an American football quarterback for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons. He is the older brother of former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick and a second cousin of Oakland Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks.

High School and Collegiate Career

As a grade schooler, Michael Vick showed promise in baseball and basketball. But by junior high his adolescent ways got the best of him, and he became a disciplinary problem for his teachers. His mother pushed him to get involved with an after-school activity. He chose football, and basically gave up all other sports in the ninth grade.

Michael Vick first came to prominence while at Ferguson High School in Newport News, VA. As a freshman he began opening eyes with his athletic ability and throwing for over 400 yards in a game that year. Later on as a junior, Vick and Coach Tommy Reamon both moved to Warwick High School,also in Newport News, in 1996 after Ferguson was shut down.

Michael Vick was somewhat overshadowed locally by quarterback Ronald Curry of Hampton High School in Hampton, Virginia, who would earn Gatorade National Football Player of the Year honors and make first team Parade All-American in basketball; in Curry's shadow, Vick never even made first-team all-district. Curry recevived a scholarship to the University of North Carolina, but suffered injury problems and eventually was drafted by the NFL's Oakland Raiders as a wide receiver.

After high school, Michael Vick attended Virginia Tech. He exploded onto the scene in his first collegiate game as a redshirt freshman in 1999 with three rushing TDs, in just over one quarter of play. His last touchdown was a spectacular flip in which he landed awkardly on his ankle, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game in addition to the following game. He led the Virginia Tech 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. He led the NCAA in passing efficiency, setting a record for a freshman (180.4), which was also good enough for the second-highest all-time mark to Shaun King's record from the 1998 season at Tulane. Vick was awarded an ESPY as the nation's top college player, the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football's most valuable player, and finished third in the balloting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy, matching the highest finish ever by a freshman in the voting.

Michael Vick's sophomore season was among the most anticipated in college football history; the hype began in June when, despite not having played baseball since the eighth grade, he was selected by Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2000 draft on pure physical athleticism. Declining the Rockies' offer, he was favored to win the Heisman Trophy, but a severe ankle sprain kept Vick from living up to expectations. It did have its share of highlights, such as his career rushing high of 210 yards against the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. After finishing with a 11-1 record and a Gator Bowl MVP award in 2001, Mike decided to take his game to the NFL. Virginia Tech later retired his jersey.

NFL career

In 2001, the Atlanta Falcons traded receiver Tim Dwight and several draft picks to the San Diego Chargers for their number one selection spot in the NFL draft. Eventually, San Diego selected Texas Christian running back LaDainian Tomlinson with one of those traded spots. The Falcons selected Michael Vick as the first overall pick, and he made his NFL debut against the San Francisco 49ers.

On January 4, 2003, the Vick-led Atlanta Falcons upset the favored Green Bay Packers 27-7 in the NFC playoffs, ending the Packers' undefeated streak at Lambeau Field.

However, during a pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens later that year, Michael Vick fractured his right fibula and missed most of the the regular season. Upon his return, the Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars, going 3-1 in the final four games of the 2003 season. 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 Falcons' 2004 season ended with a defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game.

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Athletes - Michael Vick

High School and Collegiate Career

NFL career

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