Michael Vick

Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously played for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Jets.

Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, where as a freshman he placed third in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He left after his sophomore year to enter the NFL and was drafted first overall by the Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft, the first African-American quarterback ever to be taken first overall. In six seasons with the Falcons, he gained wide popularity for his performance on the field, and led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. During his tenure with Atlanta, Vick was selected to three Pro Bowls.

In April 2007, Vick was implicated in an illegal interstate dog fighting ring that had operated for five years. A federal judge noted that he had promoted, funded, and facilitated a dog fighting ring on his property, and had engaged in hanging and drowning dogs who did not perform well. He also had failed to cooperate fully with police. In August 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to federal felony charges and served 21 months in prison, followed by two months in home confinement. Hurt financially by the loss of his NFL salary and product endorsement deals, combined with previous financial mismanagement, Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2008. Falcons owner Arthur Blank did not want Vick on his team, so the team released Vick after failing to trade him. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was reinstated in Week 3 of the 2009 season.