A former NFL quarterback who has had numerous run-ins with the law in the past is in consideration for two FCS football jobs – including one at a team looking to move up to the FBS level.
Michael Vick, the former first-overall pick, is in the running for the head coaching job at Norfolk State in his native Virginia, according to the New York Post.
According to Adam Schefter, Vick is also under consideration for the job at Sacramento State – a school looking to jump from the FCS (Division I-AA) up to the top-flight FBS (Division I-A).
The Sacramento State job is particularly intriguing as the school claims to have $50million in NIL money and is planning to build a new stadium. The Hornets currently compete in the Big Sky Conference and are led by Andy Thompson, a coach in his second year.
As for Norfolk State, the Spartans fired head coach Dawson Odums in November after going 4-8 this past season.
While Vick hasn’t publicly confirmed any contact with Sacramento State, he did tell the Virginian-Pilot newspaper that he spoke with Norfolk State university president Javaune Adams-Gaston and athletic director Melody Webb about the position.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is drawing interest from Norfolk State and Sacramento State – two FCS (Division I-AA) schools who want him to be their next head football coach
Vick was a superstar with the Atlanta Falcons before legal troubles halted his momentum
He also said that Norfolk State, an HBCU competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, reached out to him about the position.
Vick does not have any coaching experience at any level. He was slated to be the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends in the short-lived spring football league, the Alliance of American Football, but was demoted to being an analyst before the season started.
In college with Virginia Tech, Vick led the Hokies to the 1999 BCS National Championship game where they lost 46-29 to the Florida State Seminoles.
He was selected first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons – becoming the first Black quarterback taken with the top pick.
Vick instantly became a star in the NFL – earning Pro Bowl recognition in 2002, 2004, and 2005 with Atlanta.
But his entire career came to a screeching halt in 2007, when investigators uncovered evidence that an unlawful dog fighting ring was being run at a property Vick owned in Virginia. He pled guilty to federal charges and spent 21 months in federal prison.
Hours after pleading guilty, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Shortly before he was released from prison in 2009, the Falcons released Vick after considering trading him.
A free agent, Vick signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in August of 2009 at the suggestion of Philly’s then-starter, Donovan McNabb.
Vick led Virginia Tech to a national title game in 1999 and was picked by Atlanta first overall
But he served 21 months in federal prison for his role in a dog fighting ring in 2007
After being freed from prison, Vick experienced a career renaissance with the Eagles
When McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins in 2010, Vick spent a few weeks on the bench behind Kevin Kolb before he eventually took over the starting job. He experienced something of a career renaissance with Philadelphia, winning the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010 and being named to his fourth and final Pro-Bowl.
In total, he played five seasons in Philadelphia before hitting free agency in 2014. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets that season, making sporadic appearances.
At the end of his career, he signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. After going unsigned throughout the 2016 season, he officially announced his retirement in 2017.
Vick tossed for over 22,000 yards in his NFL regular season career – completing 133 passing touchdowns. He was also prolific on the ground, rushing for over 6,000 career yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. In the playoffs, Vick managed 977 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, 271 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Since retiring, he’s played in the American Flag Football League and has been an NFL analyst on FS1’s ‘Fox NFL Kickoff’. He also briefly served as a coaching intern under former coach Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2017 training camp.
