Prior to 2007 Michael Vick was one of the celebrated young quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL). Despite his known bad boy behaviour, Vick was still a hero amongst fans and the NFL organisation for his athletic abilities. In early 2007 however, admiration for Vick on and off the field abruptly arrested after he was implicated in an illegal dog fighting ring and served time following his guilty plea.
I lost my freedom. I lost my money and I lost my family. All because of irrational decisions and using poor judgement. Think before you speak, think before you act and think before you make decisions in life. — Michael Vick
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick speaks about dogfighting at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Realizing the Michael Vick brand can’t be fixed in one season, the NFL star and his PR team are continuing their efforts in showing sports fans that the new Michael Vick has learned from past errors by his work in communities helping youngsters understand the importance of their choices. Over the weekend Vick gave a commencement address to the 450 graduating students of Camelot Academy in Philadelphia, PA. The school serves students that have fallen behind in their formal education, dropped out or have been expelled from secondary school. As Comcast sports reported, Vick admonished students to heavily consider the decisions they make, as it will have an affect on their future.
Upon Michael Vick’s release from prison, many questioned if Vick could redeem his career. With public outrage and calls from animal rights groups to prohibit Vick from continuing his NFL career; it was only the Philadelphia Eagles that came forward and gave Vick a second chance. Vick and his team immediately got to work. On the field the quarterback reminded fans and the league why he was the the number one pick in the 2001 NFL draft; off the field his public relations managers scheduled a series of talks against animal cruelty, donations to civic organisations and presented an apologetic and reformed Vick. It has been the most humbling presentation of the Newport News native since his emergence on the public stage.
While in prison Vick was mentored by a man many admire in the league, the first African American football coach to win a Superbowl with the 2007 Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy. Dungy isn’t the most glamorous and often talked about coach in the NFL’s history, but many admit that his impact in the lives of his players and staff has lead them to long lasting success on and off the field. With Dungy’s influence in Vick’s life along with the help of a few PR pros with a strategy that isn’t about face value PR, it appears Vick’s reform is evident with good offence on and off the field.
