As Michael Vick walked to the podium for the first time as Norfolk State football coach, he received a welcome gift of sorts. Athletic director Melody Webb presented him with a letterman’s jacket with “Coach Vick” inscribed on the right chest.
It marked a significant moment for the former Virginia Tech quarterback, who also wore a whistle around his neck as he took on the first coaching gig of his career.
“I can assure you that I’m going to give 110 percent effort. If anyone ever feels like I’m slacking and not doing my job don’t hesitate to say it. Because as long as I got this whistle,” Vick chuckled, “they’re (Norfolk State players) going to know when they’re doing right and wrong. And if I ever hear a whistle behind me and you’re all like, ‘Damn Mike, you ain’t getting it done. It’ll be a full-circle moment because I gave y’all the authority to do that at this moment in time.”
Norfolk State, a historically Black FCS school in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in Virginia, announced the hiring of Vick on Dec. 17. Vick also spoke to Sacramento State about its opening, which went to UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
Vick’s move to Norfolk State to become the 19th football coach in school history resembles a similar career path taken by former NFL players who have made the move to coach at HBCUs, including Colorado’s Deion Sanders, whose first collegiate coaching job was leading Jackson State, another historically Black institution, for three seasons.
Vick, the 2001 No. 1 NFL Draft pick, said he is leaning on guidance from coaches he’s spent much time and built relationships with, like Sanders, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
“The first person I reached out to was Deion Sanders because he is a mentor. We talked about it last year and Deion was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re waiting for, you might as well get into it.’ So he was one of the first people that I called. I know a lot of people ask, ‘Are you going to be the next Deion Sanders?’ and I’m quick to tell them, ‘No, there’s only one Deion Sanders.’ His soul, his spirit, the way God created him, he created an amazing man. And Deion is Deion. But I’m Michael Vick.”
The 44-year-old Vick takes over a program that was formerly under the tutelage of Dawson Odums, who finished 15-31 in four seasons.
Vick grew up in Newport News, Va., about 25 miles north of Norfolk, and said Monday he grew up going to Norfolk State games while playing for the local Boys & Girls Club. Vick eventually went to Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to the 2000 national title game against Florida State as one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in college football history. Vick finished third in Heisman voting as a redshirt freshman in 1999 and spent two seasons at Virginia Tech.
His local ties were a frequent subject of Monday’s introductory news conference.
“By this being home, certainly made (the decision) easier, in terms of how we’ll be able to recruit and go after kids and find a way to change the dynamic of the program and get talent into the program. All of those things weighed a factor,” Vick said. “There were other options out there and more opportunities being thrown at me but I had to look at everything for face value. Gaining experience and building a new culture in my backyard was the deciding factor. I hope this can be a long-lasting working relationship.”
After being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Vick led the Falcons to the NFC championship game in 2004 and became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in one season during the 2006 campaign.
However, in 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to being involved in a dog fighting ring at a property he owned in rural Virginia and was sentenced to nearly two years in prison. He also had to pay back parts of his multimillion-dollar contract with the Falcons.
Vick was released from prison in 2009 and pledged to use his demise as a lesson for others. His return to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles drew protests, but he played seven more seasons in the league, becoming a starter for the team from 2010 to 2012.
A member of “Fox NFL Kickoff” since 2017, Vick said he made a tough decision to leave his position as an analyst, but said that coaching young men was a position he’d always envisioned.
“Working for Fox Sports was definitely one of the pinnacles of my career, it was tough to walk away from that … it wasn’t the easiest decision to make,” Vick said. “I have a family that I sincerely care about, that I love. This requires a lot of change in lifestyle, but at the same time it allows me to serve young men in my community.”
Required reading
- Former NFL QB Michael Vick to become coach at Norfolk State: ‘Looking forward to coming back home’
- Michael Vick talks to Norfolk State, Sacramento State about head-coaching jobs: Reports
(Photo: Bob Levey / Getty Images)
