Michael Vick Retires

The most famous and controversial player in the history of Virginia Tech has officially retired from playing football. The 36-year-old NFL veteran announced his decision when speaking with ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

After finishing an electrifying college career at Virginia Tech, including leading the Hokies to the 1999 National Championship Game, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Vick with the first pick of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Vick spent the next six years with Atlanta and captivated fans with his athleticism and ability to make plays with his feet. The high point of his time with the Falcons is best illustrated with a playoff victory over the heavily favored Green Bay Packers in 2002. Up until that time the Packers had never lost a home playoff game since the NFL introduced the post season construct in 1933.

Michael Vick’s career came to a screeching halt when he was indicted for managing a dogfighting ring, Bad Newz Kennels, out of Newport News, VA. During the summer of 2016 Bleacher Report released a fantastic documentary chronicling the controversy surrounding Vick and his dog fighting enterprise. If you have not had a chance to watch the production I strongly recommend that you set aside an hour. You can read my review about the documentary here.

After Vick served a 21-month federal prison sentence the Hokie superstar returned to the NFL. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. In 2010 he took over the starting job, earning a Pro Bowl invitation and leading the Eagles to the playoffs.

Plagued by injuries, Vick was released after 2013. He spent 2014 with the New York Jets and 2015 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vick spent the 2016 season as an out of work free agent before announcing his retirement. Vick leaves the NFL as the all-time rushing QB and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

We here at Gobbler Country wish Mr. Vick the best in his future endeavors.