It’s been a very good week for Michael Vick. He scored six touchdowns on Monday Night. His jersey from the game was sent to the Hall of Fame. He moved up to second all-time for rushing among QB’s. He single-handedly destroyed your fantasy team. He made the Eagles clear favorites in the NFC East for right now. He almost certainly made himself millions and millions of dollars in his next contract. And I’m told he helped cure a child of lupus simply by laying his hands upon the child’s sternum. And now, the coup de gras: Vick is your offensive player of the week in the NFC for the second week in a row:
Vick was named NFC offensive player of the week for the second week in a row. He became the first quarterback to win the award in successive weeks since Randall Cunningham did it for the Vikings in 1998.
There’s even talk of Vick being named league MVP despite missing most of four games due to injury. Among league leaders in passing, he’s currently first in passer rating and second in yards per attempt. It has been a remarkable, stunning run for a player many thought would never set foot on an NFL field again after going to prison.
Perhaps you’re not a fan of Vick. Perhaps you’re the kind of person who promises to never forgive Vick for killing dogs in the back of his Virginia estate for so many years. But if you’re the sort of person who thinks Vick has done his time and paid his debt to society, it’s hard not to marvel at the turn his career has taken. Remember, this is a man who was $9 million in debt upon leaving prison. This is a man who had to file for bankruptcy just a year ago. There was every indication that Vick would spend a few more years in the NFL, perhaps as a gadget player, then flame out and spend the rest of his life strangled by his notoriety and financial woes.
Now Vick is on the verge of scoring a lucrative contract extension and once again becoming the biggest star in the NFL, whether you like him or not. I can’t think of a greater personal turnaround in recent NFL history. Everyone knew Vick was talented. But for him to flourish like this? It’s been unreal. And despite the dark nature of Vick’s crimes, it’s been a shocking joy to watch unfold.
