Michael Vick Rugby Player Biography & Photos 2011

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Michael Vick Rugby Player Biography & Photos 2011

Michael Vick Biography

Team:     Philadelphia Eagles
Ht / Wt:     6'0' / 215
Age / DOB:     (31) / 6/26/1980
College:     Virginia Tech
Contract:     view contract details

Michael Dwayne Vick was born on June 26, 1980, in Newport News, Virginia. (Click here for a complete listing of today's sports birthdays.) Located at the southernmost tip of the peninsula that divides the James River and Chesapeake Bay—and across the water from Norfolk—his hometown had seen its share of good times and bad. Like most port cities, Newport News fell on hard times in the 1970s and 80s. When Michael entered the world, the city was best known for producing drug dealers and gang members. Serious trouble, the kind that turned many young men into statistics, lurked around most corners in his neighborhood.

Michael's family situation was less than ideal. His mother, Brenda Vick, was 16 when she became pregnant with him. His father, Michael Boddie, was just a year older. Already the parents of a girl, Christina, they did not marry for another five years—at which point two more children, Marcus and Courtney, had arrived.

Still, in the Sugar Bowl, many fans saw Michael for the first time, and as always he was impressive. His speed and elusiveness on the artificial turf of the Louisiana Superdome were mind-boggling. When he rallied Virginia Tech from a 21-point deficit to a brief 29-28 lead, he showed the guts and poise of an NFL veteran.

After the season, Michael enjoyed the spoils of celebrity. He won the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as the nation's collegiate MVP and attended the ESPY Awards to collect his trophy as the top college football player. During the festivities, a steady stream of superstars, including Tiger Woods and Mark McGwire, introduced themselves.

All that hype, coupled with all the expectations heaped on Virginia Tech, made preparing for the following year extremely difficult for Michael. The attention he received from the media was staggering. Every day a different magazine, newspaper or television station called for an interview.

That opens up all sorts of possibilities for Michael's other major weapon, his running ability. Teams flushing him out of the pocket must contend with two uncomfortable facts: Michael is usually the fastest guy on the field, and he has a palette of moves for which most running backs would sell their souls.

The knock on Michael when he began his suspension was that he never fully developed as a pro passer. He squandered the extra time he bought himself in the pocket as a running threat. Two years away from the game held little promise that he would mature as a player—some wondered whether he would even mature as a person.

By all accounts, Michael has done both. Rather than eroding his skills, his layoff has helped him become the quarterback most football people felt he never would be. Perhaps it took a little humility. Maybe it helped to be on the outside of the NFL looking in. Most likely, it was a simple matter of the NFL’s version of Peter Pan finally growing up.

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