Michael Vick Sets Record Straight on Returning to Pro Football
Michael Vick just shared some news about his reported comeback. The former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback went to Twitter to announce he's not coming out of retirement to play for Fan Controlled Football (FCF). Last week, Reuters reported that Vick, 41, was going to play for the pro football league and an official announcement was to be made soon.
"I hung 'em up in 2015 never to return again, Vick tweeted on Sunday. "Had an amazing time and accomplished so much. I say that to say, they're going to stay hung up and I will not be coming out of retirement. I appreciate the opportunity to play but I'd rather put my executive hat on with the little ownership that I have!"
FCF is a condensed 7-on-7 style of football on a 50-yard field. The games are played at Pullman Yards in Atlanta on Saturdays and fans have the ability to call plays for their favorite team. Former NFL players have ties to the league, specifically Terrell Owens who came out of retirement to play in the league. FCF also includes former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel who is in his second season with the league.
As Vick mentioned in the tweet, the last time he played in the NFL was in 2015 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also spent time with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons, which is where he became a star. He was drafted by the Falcons No. 1 overall in 2001 and became the starting QB in 2002. During the 2002 season, Vick was selected to his first Pro Bowl after throwing for 2,936 yards and rushing for 777 yards and scoring 24 total touchdowns. In 2006, Vick rushed for 1,039 yards making him the first QB in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He didn't play in 2007 or 2008 due to him being in federal prison for dogfighting.
"I let myself down, you know, being in a prison bed, in a prison bunk, writing letters home, you know," Vick said during a 60 Minutes interview in 2009. "That wasn't my life. That wasn't the way that things was supposed to be. And all because of the so-called culture that I thought was right — that I thought it was cool. And I thought it was, you know, it was fun, and it was exciting at the time. It all led to me laying in a prison bunk by myself."