Superstar: Michael Vick became an idol at Atlanta
Four years ago, Michael Dwayne Vick stood in front of a jury and pleaded guilty to his involvement in a dog fighting ring. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison disgracing the face of the NFL.
Now, he has just secured a $100 million extension to his contract, is fresh from an MVP-style season and seems to be better than ever before. This weekend, the comeback hero returns to Atlanta to face the team who made him who he is.
Now, he has just secured a $100 million extension to his contract, is fresh from an MVP-style season and seems to be better than ever before. This weekend, the comeback hero returns to Atlanta to face the team who made him who he is.
His days at the Falcons saw him rise to the top of the NFL, a larger than life athlete who had everything going his way. Vick became a local hero in the city of Atlanta and was one of the highest paid players in the league. Going to prison completely destroyed Vick financially, losing his NFL salary on top of his endorsements it resulted in him filing for bankruptcy in July 2008.
Now only 3 years later, the 2010 NFL Comeback Player of the Year is back to where he was and should always have been and that is at the top of the NFL. Last season he threw 21 touchdowns for 3,018 yards with six interceptions. With a passer rating of 100.2, he was one of the players short listed for the seasons MVP - only beaten by Tom Brady.
Vick is mostly famous for being one of the NFL's all time best rushing quarterbacks with an incredible record of 676 yards on 100 carries, scoring nine touchdowns. Vick still holds the record as being the only Quarterback in NFL history to rush over 1,000 yards in a regular season in 2006.
Born again: Vick is now back at his best at passing and rushing for the Eagles
It remains to be seen what welcome the Atlanta fans give Vick, Falcons fans will not forget his middle finger gesture to them in 2006. However he is still kept in high esteem by many in Atlanta, I'm sure there will not just be Eagles jerseys donning the famous 'Vick 7' in the stands. But Vick is always climbing back up that mountain he dramatically fell off to try and achieve the only thing missing in a rollercoaster career - and thats a Superbowl ring.
Philadelphia are one of the strong favourites this year acquiring the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha from the Oakland Raiders and Vince Young from the Tennessee Titans as back up for Vick and are certainly the team on the tip of everybody's tongue.
Glory Hunting: The Eagles can sense a championship is at their fingertips
With a strong team at his disposal on offence, I will be extremely surprised if the Eagles dont make the latter stages of the play offs at least. A Superbowl beckons, and if Vick keeps up a solid performance all season long then dont be surprised that he is lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy next February.
Returning to the Atlanta Dome he once called "My House", he now says he is a visitor to "Matt Ryan's House". Its his second homecoming, this being the more meaningful as the boy has returned home a regular after his last visit to the Falcons was as a back up to Kevin Kolb (now at the Arizona Cardinals) and was welcomed to only a few boos by the home fans, drowned out by the many who still see Vick as a hero.
An emotional return awaits Michael Vick for the team that made him, but where he almost ruined himself. The game is one not to be missed. Fans in the UK can see Vick's big return on Channel 4, Monday morning at 1:15.
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